The literary landscape in Canada today is arguably richer and more diverse than it’s ever been. To see a sign of this bookish splendor, look no further than the many wonderful short story collections by Canadian writers that are being published by small presses across the country.
Canada is fortunate to have a longstanding tradition of some of the best short story writing found anywhere, including the talents of Margaret Atwood, Alistair MacLeod, Carol Shields and others — too many to name in one introduction. These iconic names aside, there’s never been a more exciting time to read fresh, contemporary voices earning their place in the Canadian canon of short fiction, or to discover someone new.
Of the numerous short story collections by Canadian authors out there, here are four exciting new books you won’t want to miss, each published by a small press and featuring awesome Canadian talent that you should add to your reading list.
Weird Babies by Jaclyn Desforges
Up first is the collection Weird Babies by Jaclyn Desforges, recently released by Gordon Hill Press, a series of stories about different kinds of babies that are sure to entertain, captivate and make you think — not only necessarily about infanthood or what it means to be a parent, but about the part inside all of us that yearns to be loved and protected in a world full of sharp objects. Each story is unique from the next and features Desforges’s mesmerizing prose and brilliant imagination, often delving into situations many of us can relate to, as well as scenarios you might find strange, though you’ll definitely want to hop in for the ride to satisfy your curiosity.
Breathing Is How Some People Stay Alive by Alison Gadsby
Next, you’ll simply inhale the collection of tales in Breathing Is How Some People Stay Alive by Alison Gadsby, out now from Guernica Editions, especially if you’re a reader who enjoys stories that blur the lines between genres — in particular those of horror, speculative fiction and psychological realism. These connected stories follow the intricate lives of characters struggling with loneliness, childhood trauma and the love that binds them to their families, crafted masterfully and with such depth that they will draw you in and move you. This is the perfect collection of stories about what it means to be human, and all the complexities that make up our lives, rendered on the page in compelling prose.
SuperCanucks: An Anthology of Canadian Small-Town Superheroes by Matthew Del Papa and Andy Taylor, eds.
For fans of superheroes, here’s a new title that’ll rescue you from your reading doldrums — SuperCanucks: An anthology of Canadian Small-Town Superheroes edited by Matthew Del Papa and Andy Taylor and published by Latitude46 Publishing. These are stories about superheroes from small towns across the nation, who don’t enjoy the spotlight of bustling metropolises or end-of-the-world battles, but who are no less heroic in their efforts to protect their communities and thwart threats much closer to home. Plus, as an anthology, SuperCanucks features eleven different writers with unique spins on the theme of small-town heroes, so you’ll have the chance to hear from an array of terrific voices and perhaps find your next favorite author — all while reading some rollicking superhero action!
The Library Cosmic: Stories by Ben Berman Ghan
Release date: May 19, 2026
Finally, The Library Cosmic: Stories by Ben Berman Ghan, forthcoming with Wolsak & Wynn, is a collection of stories sure to delight the inner child in all of us, full of magic, wonder and compelling storytelling, bringing us back to the excitement of visiting our local library and finding the perfect story to transport our imaginations to wonderful realms. As a follow-up to Ghan’s debut novel, The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits, his signature immersive and imaginative style is back on glorious display in stories that cross time and space, blend magic and the cosmic, and explore the boundaries of speculative fiction from fantasy figures like golems and ghosts, to sci-fi staples like robots and a future influenced by AI. If you wish to be enchanted, look no further than this terrific collection of short fiction.
These four selected short story collections by contemporary Canadian authors are the paragon of the wonderful writing and compelling voices you can find today.
So, what is it about short stories that continues to enthrall readers and has done so for generations? The chance to dip in and out, reading when the mood strikes? The skill it takes to craft a narrative in so few words, bringing us fleeting glimpses of the lives of characters and their worlds that leave us wanting more?
Whatever the reason may be, short stories continue to hold a special place in the Canadian literary landscape, and with collections written by the authors spotlighted here, the genre remains in good hands now and for the future.
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