Best Canadian Essays 2025

Emily Urquhart is the author of three books of nonfiction including the essay collection, Ordinary Wonder Tales, a finalist for the 2023 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. She has a background in journalism and a doctorate in folklore and draws on both in her writing. She is a five-time National Magazine Award nominee for her journalistic work and has won gold and silver. She lives in Kitchener, Ontario with her husband and two children where she is a nonfiction editor for The New Quarterly and teaches creative writing and science communication at the University of Waterloo.

Praise for the Best Canadian Series“The wide range of writers, forms and themes represented here make it a great jumping-off point for readers who might be interested in Canadian poetry but are unsure about where to start.”—Globe and Mail"One of the best things about the end of the year is having a chance to look back. The three Best Canadian volumes ... are a snapshot of some of the finest in Canadian writing this year."—Robert J. Wiersema, Toronto Star“A superb collection of national thinkers, crackling with insight on the issues of the age.”—Chatelaine"[Best Canadian Essays 2025] occupies a space between identity, experience, and self-discovery. The themes may not be new, but by weaving personal narratives of Canadians into the collective consciousness, each essay amplifies a distinct voice; tells a story; and transforms the ordinary into something novel through an infusion of personality . . . Through its exploration of place, identity, and community, the anthology gestures 'northward' to a Canada rooted in renewal, responsibility, and hope—a signal we all ought to follow."—The Varsity“The arrival, late in the fall each year, of [this] collection is always cause for fanfare.”—Quill & Quire“Each of the authors in Best Canadian Essays 2024 offers a particular style and perspective, but the essays work together to provide a picture of some of the issues Canadians have been facing. Many readers are likely to find something to interest them in this short collection of essays.”—Winnipeg Free Press