蘑菇AV

Well-known culture writer, radio host and podcaster Elamin Abedelmahmoud鈥檚 2022 book, , has been selected as the 2025-2026 book title for .

Copies of the national bestseller are now available for free at libraries across Dal鈥檚 campuses just in time for cozy fall and winter reading season as part of the initiative. The unity book program, first launched in 2009, encourages people in the university community to read the same book and talk about it.聽

"Incredibly proud and incredibly grateful that Son of Elsewhere was chosen by 蘑菇AV as the Dal Reads book for 2025-2026," said Abdelmahmoud on social media this week.

The book offers a poignant reflection on identity and belonging from Abdelmahmou, who arrived in Canada from Sudan at age 12 and grappled with the dissonance of being both insider and outsider. The book鈥檚 essays blend humour, vulnerability, and cultural critique, exploring race, faith, and the limits of multiculturalism. Pop culture becomes a lifeline, while Ontario鈥檚 401 highway emerges as a powerful metaphor for transition and possibility, a space where he learns to navigate new worlds.聽Son of Elsewhere聽is described as a memoir that will resonate with anyone who has felt suspended between places, searching for home.

Abdelmahmoud, current host of CBC's daily arts and pop culture show Commotion and a former culture writer for BuzzFeed News, was a founding co-host of the CBC Politics podcast Party Lines and is a contributor to The National鈥檚 At Issue panel. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Globe and Mail, and other publications.

Balancing relevance, reputation, and community input

Son of Elsewhere was selected by the Dal Reads Advisory Committee, which prioritizes accessibility and Canadian content, and seeks to raise the profile of authors from underrepresented communities. Each year, the cross-functional committee tries to vary the book format and themes. For example, following a year where the selection is a fictional story in the longer form of a novel, it might be followed by a collection of short stories.聽

The selection of the Dal Reads title begins in spring when committee members are asked to bring title suggestions to the group to compile a longlist of options. Then comes discussion of each title and prioritization based on what the committee thinks is timely and relevant, with members stepping up to defend their suggestions. The result? A shortlist of three titles, usually.

The most popular title isn鈥檛 always the book selected. Other criteria, like time since publication, licensing, and price, weigh in to the equation. This year, Dal Libraries added a social media poll to the equation, inviting its Instagram followers to rate the short list.聽

Get a copy of Son of Elsewhere

Free paperback copies of Son of Elsewhere are available at the Killam, Kellogg, Sexton, MacRae, and Law libraries. Look for the book station at a library near you to grab a copy.

Ebook and audiobook copies are available by searching Novanet or the Libby app. To borrow materials, just log in with your NetID and password.

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