Chacaby memoir, published by U of M Press, wins Canada Reads

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This article was published 20/03/2025 (377 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder, by Ma-Nee Chacaby with Mary Louisa Plummer, has won this year’s edition of CBC literary show Canada Reads.

Published in 2016 by University of Manitoba Press, A Two-Spirit Journey beat out the novel Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew in the final round of the show on March 20. Chacaby’s memoir details how, as an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian who grew up in a remote northern Ontario community, she moved beyond abuse and alcohol addiction to become a counsellor as well as leading Thunder Bay’s first gay pride parade.

Canada Reads sees five books in contention for the top book of the annual program, with each title championed by a notable fan. Each day a book is eliminated until only one remains. The theme of this year’s show was “one book to change the narrative.”

Chacaby’s book was championed by Shayla Stonechild, founder of the Matriarch Movement wellness podcast. Chacaby and Stonechild will be at Merchants Corner (541 Selkirk Ave.) on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. for a reading and conversation hosted by Michael Redhead Champagne. Admission is free; to reserve a spot at the event, see wfp.to/WO6.