What Do These Poetry Books Have in Common?

Here's the list.

Forage by Rita Wong
Nox by Anne Carson
Inventory by Dionne Brand
Selected Poems by Alden Nowlan
Sheep's Vigil by a Fervent Person by Erin Mouré

What's the commonality? I mean besides that the titles are unfamiliar to about 99% of Canadians and about 153% of people elsewhere. Some people somewhere might recognize some of the authors, but I'm not placing any bets.

These five books of poetry are the five books that CBC's Canada Reads event will consider. Other poets (at least as well known as the authors themselves) will "defend" the books. Here's the line-up with defense counsel:

Forage defended by Sonnet L'Abbé.
Nox defended by Anne Simpson.
Inventory defended by George Murray.
Selected Poems defended by Susan Musgrave.
Sheep's Vigil by a Fervent Person defended by Jacob McArthur Mooney

Tune in. Turn on (the radio). Find out!