A Canadian Fiction

What makes a book a part of the Canadian Literature canon? Does the author need to be Canadian? Should the story be set somewhere in Canada? Do you need both plot and writer to be Canadian? And do Canadian novels get judged on a different playing field? Are critics kinder, more lenient, more 'Canadian' in attitude because it is a Canadian book?

These are interesting questions to ask and perhaps more interestingly they are difficult to answer. There has always been some speculation as to what makes a person or book "Canadian". And does labelling a person or object "Canadian" make it better or worse? 

In my quest to define myself as a Canadian I have come to the personal understanding that not having a black and white definition makes it more clear what being a Canadian means to each person. Without sounding too nationalistic, I believe that being a Canadian means that you usually have a multi-layered identity and cultural background. 

I was born in Poland but have spend most of my life in Canada. I have never felt that my being born in Poland has made me less of a Canadian. Nor have I felt that I have had to suppress my Polish-ness in order to become a fully Canadian citizen. I enjoy watching hockey but don't necessarily view it as a prerequisite for being Canadian. (Although I wouldn't know who to cheer for if the Polish hockey team ever played a serious game against the Canadian team.)

Some of my favourite Canadian authors are David Bezmozgis, Esi Edugyan and Michael Winter if I only had to name 3 but I think that what makes them great is not because they are Canadian but because I think their writing is fantastic. They may deal with some quintessentially Canadian situations and characters but I think those situations and characters that they so brilliantly depict are universal and can be taken out of the Canadian context and still stand on their own. 

So, why do we lump our Canadian writers into the Canadian literature section? Why not just mix them in with the rest. I'm reminded of an incident I had as a young bookseller, oh how naive I was then. A black lady approached me and asked me where we kept the black authors. I was a little confused and asked her to clarify. Turns out she was looking for novels that were specifically written for and by black people. I didn't know how to respond because of course there was no such section. And I thought how odd it was when she stormed off in a visible huff. I realize the situation is a little different but I think I'm experiencing the same kind of confusion when thinking about Canadian literature. 

I'm left right where I began, still not knowing what to think. I suppose I have to keep in mind that Canada is really a small country and yet the amount of talent it churns out is truly impressive. (There must be something special in all the maple syrup we consume.) I guess not having a clear answer is a somewhat Canadian way of continuing to ask a question that I think makes Canada an interesting place to be. I welcome your thoughts on the matter.