The Evergreen Award reading program is comprised of the best titles in Canadian fiction and non-fiction for adults of any age. It is one of eight programs that form the OLA’s Forest of Reading, Canada’s largest recreational reading program of its kind. Over 250,000 Canadians participate each year in the Forest of Reading.

A committee of library professionals chooses the titles nominated for the Evergreen Award, which are announced every January. In September, readers have a chance to vote on the favourite of the longlist at their public library. Votes from readers are then tallied and the winner is announced during Ontario Public Library Week.

The following are the ten books that comprise the Evergreen longlist for 2018.

  • All We Leave Behind: A Reporter's Journey into the Lives of Others by Carol Off, an eye-opening account of one family’s turbulent journey to immigrate to Canada from Afghanistan.
  • American War by Omar El Akkad, a novel of dystopian fiction set in a near-future United States, which has been ravaged by climate change and war.
  • The Clothesline Swing by Ahmad Danny Ramadan, inspired by Arabian Tales of One Thousand and One Nights, tells the epic story of two lovers anchored to the memory of a dying Syria.
  • The Dark and Other Love Stories by Deborah Willis, a short story collection that focuses on characters experiencing, losing, or reminiscing about love.
  • Glass Beads by Dawn Dumont, a short story collection that interconnects the friendships of four First Nations people from the 1990s through the 2000s.
  • Gone to Pot by Jennifer Craig, a humorous novel about a down on her luck woman who decides to grow weed for income.
  • The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron, a compelling novel that imagines what the last days of the Neanderthal may have been like.
  • Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez, a moving and gritty novel that follows an assortment of poor and disenfranchised characters living in Scarborough.
  • Solitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris draws on the research of the world's leading neuroscientists and behavioural psychologists, to offer a profound exploration of how to be alone
  • Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson, a compelling coming-of-age story that blends magical realism, Indigenous lore and wacky family dynamics.

As is usually the case, the 2018 Evergreen list features a diverse list of titles. It spans multiple genres, includes both fiction and non-fiction, and features diverse authors and perspectives. It is certainly a book list that is well-representative of what Canadian authors have to offer Canadian readers. You only need to read one the following titles to be eligible to vote -- visit your local branch to vote today!

You can reserve any of the 2018 Evergreen titles today at your local branch or by visiting clicking on a title above.