Can Lit Legends: The Black Can Lit Hoodie

The Can Lit Legends: Black Can Lit Hoodie is the first release in the new FOLD x Can Lit Legends Series — a collection of apparel created to honour incredible writers who have shaped and transformed Canadian literature. Featuring the names Austin Clarke, Lawrence Hill, Esi Edugyan, Nalo Hopkinson, and André Alexis, this inaugural piece recognizes storytellers whose work has expanded our national imagination and opened doors for generations of readers and writers.

The authors were chosen for their enduring impact: their award-winning novels, their fearless engagement with history and possibility, and their profound influence on how we understand race, belonging, power, and place in Canada. From sweeping historical narratives to speculative worlds and intimate literary fiction, their books have redefined what Canadian literature can be.

With this first drop in the Can Lit Legends Series, FOLD Apparel celebrates legacy, influence, and the writers whose names deserve to be worn with pride.

André Alexis

André Alexis is an award-winning novelist, playwright, and essayist whose work often explores fate, consciousness, morality, and the unseen forces shaping human lives. His acclaimed novel Fifteen Dogs — part of the Quincunx Cycle — won the Giller Prize and Canada Reads, solidifying his reputation as one of Canada’s most inventive literary voices. Across fiction and drama, Alexis blends philosophical depth with wit and imagination, continually expanding the possibilities of contemporary Canadian storytelling.

Austin Clarke

Austin Clarke (1934–2016) was a pioneering novelist, short story writer, and essayist whose work examined migration, identity, race, and belonging in Canada. Born in Barbados and later settling in Toronto, Clarke became one of the country’s most influential Black literary voices. His novel The Polished Hoe won the Giller Prize, and his decades-long body of work remains foundational to Black Canadian literature.

Esi Edugyan

Esi Edugyan is a two-time Giller Prize–winning novelist celebrated for her richly researched historical fiction and luminous prose. Her novels, including Half-Blood Blues and Washington Black, traverse continents and centuries while exploring freedom, artistry, and the global Black experience. Edugyan’s work has earned international acclaim and positioned her as one of Canada’s most distinguished contemporary writers.

Lawrence Hill

Lawrence Hill is a novelist, memoirist, and essayist best known for The Book of Negroes (published as Someone Knows My Name in the U.S.), an internationally celebrated novel that traces the journey of an enslaved woman across the Atlantic world. His novel, The Illegal, won Canada Reads and his middle grade novel, Beatrice and Croc marked his first foray into children’s literature. A longtime advocate for human rights and literacy, Hill’s writing bridges history and the present, illuminating stories of resilience, displacement, and freedom.

Nalo Hopkinson

Nalo Hopkinson is a groundbreaking author of speculative fiction whose work blends Caribbean folklore, futurism, and social commentary. Through novels such as Brown Girl in the Ring and Midnight Robber, Hopkinson has reshaped science fiction and fantasy by centering diasporic voices and mythologies. Her imaginative, genre-defying storytelling has influenced writers around the world and broadened the scope of speculative literature in Canada.

FOLD Apparel orders are fulfilled through a print-on-demand service. Items are only printed and shipped once an individual places an order. This approach helps reduce waste and allows us to offer a wide range of products with minimal overhead.

Because FOLD Apparel is created using a print-on-demand service, items in your order may be produced and shipped form different locations. This means packages can arrive separately and on different days, even if they were ordered together.

Duties and taxes vary by country and region and are determined by customs authorities in your area. Your order may ship from a printer in Canada, the US, or internationally, which may result in additional charges.

Because FOLD Apparel is a Canadian company, some products and items may not be available internationally.