Jared Bland is a robust bibliophile and an uninhibited one. A reader’s reader, he is one of the best-qualified people in the country to answer the question: “What should I read next?” Jared has served as Poetry Editor at House of Anansi and, before that, managing editor at The Walrus. Currently The Globe and Mail Books Editor, Jared works to see that the Books section he curates

reflect[s] as many aspects of reading in this country as possible, so that when we make an effort to shape that
culture – by making a lot of noise about a new writer, say, or urging our readers toward some book they
might not otherwise come across–we have a relationship of trust and authority with our readers that
will make those efforts more effective.

Jared has previously served on the Board of Directors for PEN Canada and continues to work towards shaping a literary culture that has “intellectual sincerity, diversity, and rigour.” He edited Finding the Words: Writers on Inspiration, Desire, War, Celebrity, Exile, and Breaking the Rules.

Born in Springfield, Illinois, Jared now lives in Toronto, and is an moderator alumnus of the Festival.