Canadian musician and Canada Reads champion Tegan Quin has a special connection to the holiday season, which served as the inspiration for her latest middle-grade novel, “Merry Christmess.” The story follows twins Stevie and Jordan, who long to reunite with both parents during the festive season. Their father, a rock star frequently on tour, and their mother, occupied with organizing holiday events at the local community center, often leave the twins to fend for themselves. However, this year, the twins, along with their new animal companions, devise a plan to bring their family together and celebrate the holidays.
Tegan, who resides in Vancouver and forms one half of the acclaimed pop-indie duo Tegan and Sara with her twin sister Sara Quin, drew from her personal experiences for the book. The duo has a successful music career with 10 studio albums and hits like “Closer,” “Where Does The Good Go,” and “Walking With A Ghost,” garnering numerous awards and nominations. Tegan shared that the holiday season was their only real break amidst busy touring schedules, and she drew inspiration from favorite Christmas movies like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” while crafting “Merry Christmess.”
The novel, rooted in Tegan and Sara’s upbringing, reflects their parents’ divorce when they were young. Tegan incorporated elements from her childhood, such as her mother’s involvement in a community center program and her father being a musician, into the storyline. She aimed to create an engaging book for young readers, emphasizing her love for reading as a child. While “Merry Christmess” marks Tegan’s solo debut in novel writing, she and Sara collaborated on the memoir “High School” and the middle-grade graphic novels “Tegan and Sara: Junior High” and “Tegan and Sara: Crush.”
“Merry Christmess” targets readers aged eight to twelve and was released on September 1. In 2026, Tegan Quin clinched the Canada Reads title by championing Loghan Paylor’s “The Cure for Drowning.” The Canada Reads competition, where celebrities advocate for a chosen book, saw Tegan persuading the panel that “The Cure for Drowning” best embodied the theme of building bridges. Tegan’s success in the competition showcased her literary prowess alongside her musical achievements.