If you are looking for a great excuse to set out from Halifax on a literary road trip this summer, Books and Backroads is back for its fourth season. The popular cultural project, organized as part of the CBC Collab collaboration program with public libraries, combines local reading lists with scenic drives through charming regional towns and landscapes. Originally launched across New Brunswick, the initiative has officially expanded across the Maritimes, connecting Halifax readers with rural library events and stories rooted in East Coast communities across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
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Throughout the summer months, participants can follow a curated book list written by Maritime authors, tune into local CBC Radio discussions starting in July, or head out on a drive to attend live community events in participating towns. Listeners to Halifax broadcasts like Information Morning Mainland Nova Scotia even had the opportunity to win the full 2026 book collection earlier this summer during the week of June 29. The Nova Scotia stops on this year's itinerary highlight regional writing, featuring titles such as Amanda Peters' novel The Berry Pickers paired with the Sheet Harbour Public Library, and Lesley Crewe's The Spoon Stealer highlighted alongside the W.W. Lewis Memorial Library in Louisbourg. Sheet Harbour hosted a free public meet-and-greet with Amanda Peters on July 8 from 2 to 3 p.m., giving local book lovers a chance to connect directly with the author.
Beyond Nova Scotia, the fourth season incorporates featured reads and library gatherings across New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Included on the list are Pauline Dakin's Run, Hide, Repeat at Perth-Andover Public Library, Laverne Stewart's Haunted Heart at the Dalhousie Centennial Library in Ugpi'Ganjig First Nation, and Monique Pereira's Mirai: Montre et raconte/Show and Tell alongside Diane Carmel Léger's My Two Grandmothers at Cap-Pelé Public Library. PEI stops featured Vicki Reddin-Gauthier's memoir The Luckiest Ones at Alberton Public Library and Angel Jendrick's Secret Me at Kensington Heritage Library, which hosted a live book club recording and author session on July 23.
For Halifax residents wanting to explore local stories both on the page and on the road, Books and Backroads offers a clear map for summer travel. Whether you choose to follow the reading list from home, listen to ongoing broadcasts, or drive out to coastal library branches to participate in person, all recordings and book club details remain accessible online through CBC's community pages and the official Books and Backroads site. It stands as an ideal way to explore the culture, heritage, and landscapes that define our region.
