TORONTO – Books by revered novelists including Lawrence Hill, Michael Crummey and Kate Pullinger are among those on the long list for CBC’s 2016 “Canada Reads” competition.

Hill is on the list with “The Illegal” (HarperCollins), Crummey is there with “Sweetland” (Anchor Canada) and Pullinger made the cut with “Landing Gear” (Anchor Canada).

CBC personality and author Wab Kinew is returning for a second year as host of the annual literature debate.

This year’s theme is “starting over” and will feature books “about transformation and second chances, stories of migrants, immigrants and others who are choosing — or forced — to make major changes in their lives,” says a release.

A total of 15 books are on the long list for the 15th edition of the program, in which high-profile personalities defend a book until a winner is chosen.

This year’s panel and the final five books will be announced on Jan. 20.

The debates will take place March 21-24 and will be broadcast on CBC Radio One, CBC-TV and online at CBCbooks.ca.

The other longlisted books are:

— “All the Broken Things” by Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer (Vintage Canada)

— “The Amazing Absorbing Boy” by Rabindranath Maharaj (Vintage Canada)

— “Birdie” by Tracey Lindberg (HarperCollins)

— “Bone and Bread” by Saleema Nawaz (House of Anansi Press)

— “Buying on Time” by Antanas Sileika (The Porcupine’s Quill)

— “The Hero’s Walk” by Anita Rau Badami (Vintage Canada)

— “Minister Without Portfolio” by Michael Winter (Penguin Canada)

— “The Outside Circle” by Patti LaBoucane-Benson, illustrated by Kelly Mellings (House of Anansi Press)

— “Niko” by Dimitri Nasrallah (Esplanade Books/Véhicule Press)