‘All-stars’ County Reads debate winner: Fourteen Days

Dorothy Speirs successfully defended her book “Fourteen Days” at the 2026 County Reads Debate. Liz Zylstra photo

By Sharon Harrison
A pandemic story, “Fourteen Days” edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston (in support of the Authors Guild Foundation), and defended by Dorothy Speirs, was declared the winner of the 2026 Canada Reads Debate by the voting public, in what was an incredibly close vote.

“I do have a job tonight and it is to convince a lot of you that the book I am about to present should be at the very top of your reading list,” said Speirs, and convince them she did.

Published in 2024, Fourteen Days is a collaborative novel with a story written by 36 eminent Canadian and American authors representing diverse age groups, genre and ideological backgrounds, with the narrative stitched together by editor Douglas Preston.

“I think you will find it unlike anything you have read before,” she said, calling it a fascinating literary experiment.

A room full of excitement and anticipation is testament to a long-standing favourite annual event with Thursday evening’s 2026 County Reads Debate continuing a beloved local tradition many look forward to every spring.

But it is, of course, the defenders, as well as their book choices, that bring a fun element to this lively occasion, and this year saw an all-female (and all County resident) selection for this enjoyable volunteer-run Prince Edward County Public Library event.

Also special this year is that each of the five defenders have been part of past County Reads Debates, where the list this time was made up of some of the best from past years in the form of an “all-stars” selection.

Simply put, each of the five defenders presents their choice of a favourite Canadian book they think is so good that everybody should read it, where they do their darndest to convince the audience to pick their title. All the action and the fun concludes at the end of the evening where audience members vote for their favourite pick where just one champion is declared.

– Liz Zylstra photo

Along with Spiers’ title, defending their chosen Canadian titles was Judy Kent who was presenting “What Strange Paradise” by Omar El Akkad; and Penny Morris defended “13 Ways to Kill Your Community” written by Doug Griffiths.

And Margaret Atwood makes a second appearance with “Book of Lives” defended by Shelagh Hurley; and lastly, County resident Shani Mootoo’s “Starry Starry Night” was defended by Carlyn Moulton.

The 2026 County Reads Debate winner, Fourteen Days, presented by Speirs, is a novel that covers 14 days during March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across New York City and the death toll rises daily.

She explains how the residents of the Upper East Side, having no where to go, unlike the richer residents of Manhattan who escape to the relative safety of the surrounding countryside, gather on the roof of the building at seven o’clock with their pots and pans in a nightly ritual of celebrating the city’s health care workers.

“As the tenants become acquainted with each other, they begin to bring their chairs and their refreshments and eventually each evening they share stories with each other,” she revealed. “The stories, each written by one of the 36 authors, are as different as the writers themselves: stories of ghosts, war, lost love, bunny rabbis, murder: some funny, some touching, some scary, but all a testament to the power of storytelling and its power to unit the community.“

Speirs points out that the stories are not signed in the body of the novel, but there is a list at the back of the book which briefly identifies each of the authors and the piece each contributed. “It will be up to you whether you want to read this first, or as I did, try to guess who wrote what. I must say, I was spectacularly unsuccessful.”

“But you will love the stories, and you will love the characters, you will be carried along by the conflicts, the tragedy, the humour and the many surprises along the way,” she expressed. “To my mind, one of the real triumphs of Fourteen Days is the fact that in spite of it having 36 authors and two editors, it’s a seamless read, told in a unique fashion with an ending that you will never see coming, and which may well bring you to tears.”

For those who wish to add some or all of the books presented to their TBR (to be read) list – if they haven’t already- all books at available at the library to borrow, or can be obtained through Picton’s Books and Company.

St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Picton was home again this year to the debate, which is based on, and inspired by, the CBC’s Canada Reads annual literary debate. And it also comes with a new moderator (as Ken Murray hangs up his bell after many years in the role) in the form of County author and storyteller Janet Kellough who is no stranger to the local literary scene.

Essentially, the format sees each presenter allotted five minutes to convince the audience why their chosen title is the book everyone must read, followed by a final one-minute pitch by each presenter.

“The telling and sharing of these tales pushes back a particularly frightening and incomprehensible world,” continued Speirs. “Fourteen Days is much more than a dreadfully vivid reminder of some of the darkest days in our recent memory, it is a tribute to the power of stories and storytelling; it is a celebration of the communities in challenging times.”

Also new this year saw the traditionally in-person event also broadcast live on the County’s radio station, 99.3 County FM, as well as streamed live on their website, although it did encounter some technical difficulties. Although to cast a vote, you had to be there in person.