Over the past twenty years, The Walrus has been a steady bellwether of must-read writing. For our 20th anniversary, we’ve collected works that still surprise us, impress us, move us.

Here are some of the best essays that we’ve published.



Where Not to Travel in 2019, or Ever

BY KATE HARRIS
When adventurers crave “untouched” places and “authentic” peoples, it’s the locals who ultimately pay




Why Do We See Dead People?

BY PATRICIA PEARSON
Humans have always sensed the ghosts of loved ones. It’s only in the last century that we convinced ourselves this was a problem




The Complicated Case of Pauline Johnson

BY CHARLOTTE GRAY
The daughter of a Mohawk chief and an Englishwoman, Johnson championed Indigenous rights. But that may not have been the message her audiences took away




Objectivity Is a Privilege Afforded to White Journalists

BY PACINTHE MATTAR
Under the banner of diversity, racialized people are told to bring ourselves and our perspectives. But, if we bring too much of them, we get held back




The Art of the Snag

BY TROY SEBASTIAN / NUPQU ʔA·Kǂ AM̓
Inside a joyful and mischievous world of attraction




The Age of Creativity

BY EMILY URQUHART
My father is a remarkable painter. And he’s done some of his best work in his eighties




Betty Cooper Is a Psychopath

BY BART BEATY
The inner lives of Archie and gang




Letter to a Young Indigenous Journalist

BY WAUBGESHIG RICE
You will feel alone. You will want to give up. But I urge you to keep going

Various Contributors