Non-Fiction

Large Print Non-Fiction: Biography, History, Memoir & True Crime

Large print fiction is everywhere. Large print non-fiction? Much harder to find. Publishers prioritize bestselling novels because they sell in higher volume, and non-fiction books tend to be longer — which means bigger, heavier, more expensive large print editions. But good options exist if you know where to look.

Why Large Print Non-Fiction Is Harder to Find

A 400-page novel becomes about 650 pages in large print. A 600-page biography becomes over 1,000. That means fatter books, higher printing costs, and often splitting into two volumes. Publishers do the math and decide it's not worth it for most non-fiction titles.

Thorndike Press (part of Gale, a Cengage company) is the biggest large print publisher in North America. They publish a solid non-fiction line, but it's a fraction of their fiction output. Random House Large Print and HarperLuxe also release select non-fiction — usually only titles that are already bestsellers.

Biography & Memoir in Large Print

Biography and memoir have the best large print availability of any non-fiction category. Celebrity memoirs and political biographies sell well enough to justify large print runs.

Greenlights — Matthew McConaughey

Random House Large Print · ~$32 CAD

Unconventional memoir from McConaughey. Part philosophy, part wild stories. Available in large print and a strong audiobook read by the author.

Becoming — Michelle Obama

Random House Large Print · ~$38 CAD

One of the best-selling memoirs of the decade. The large print edition is widely available at Canadian libraries and through Amazon.ca and Indigo.

The Boys — Ron Howard & Clint Howard

Thorndike Press Large Print · ~$35 CAD

Hollywood memoir with real substance. Thorndike's large print editions are well-produced — good paper, solid binding.

Educated — Tara Westover

Random House Large Print · ~$34 CAD

Gripping memoir about growing up in a survivalist family. The large print edition sold exceptionally well.

History & Politics in Large Print

This is where selection gets thinner. Only the biggest history titles get large print treatment. If you're looking for niche military history or academic works, you'll need to look at e-readers where you can set your own font size.

The Splendid and the Vile — Erik Larson

Random House Large Print · ~$36 CAD

Churchill during the Blitz. Larson writes history like a thriller. His books consistently get large print editions.

Empire of Pain — Patrick Radden Keefe

Random House Large Print · ~$38 CAD

The Sackler family and the opioid crisis. Investigative journalism at its best. Available in large print.

21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act — Bob Joseph

Indigenous Relations Press · Standard print

Essential Canadian history. Unfortunately not available in large print — but short enough to read comfortably on a Kobo with enlarged text.

True Crime in Large Print

True crime readers are loyal and voracious. The genre has decent large print coverage thanks to high demand.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark — Michelle McNamara

HarperLuxe · ~$30 CAD

The Golden State Killer investigation. HarperLuxe editions are well-made, with good font size and spacing.

In Cold Blood — Truman Capote

Random House Large Print · ~$28 CAD

The book that invented true crime as a genre. The large print edition has been in print for years.

Canadian Non-Fiction Authors in Large Print

Canadian non-fiction doesn't always get the large print treatment. Here's what's available:

Margaret Atwood — Her essays and non-fiction are sometimes available through Thorndike. Check CELA for accessible digital versions.
Malcolm Gladwell — Born in Ontario, based in New York. Most of his books (Outliers, Blink, The Tipping Point) are available in large print through Random House.
Chris Hadfield — "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" had a large print run. A great read about the Canadian space program.
Thomas King — "The Inconvenient Indian" is essential Canadian reading. Available through CELA in accessible formats if not in physical large print.

Where to Find Large Print Non-Fiction in Canada

Your options, ranked by selection size:

Amazon.ca — Search "[title] large print" or filter by format. Largest online selection in Canada. Most titles $28–$42 CAD.
Your public library — Canadian libraries stock large print non-fiction, especially popular titles. Inter-library loan expands your reach significantly.
CELA / NNELS — Register for CELA to access thousands of non-fiction titles in accessible digital formats. Free for eligible Canadians.
Book Depot (bookdepot.com) — Canadian discount bookseller based in Thorold, Ontario. Remaindered large print books at 50–80% off. Selection is random but prices are excellent.
Chapters/Indigo — Smaller large print section than Amazon, but you can order online for delivery or in-store pickup.

The e-reader option: If you can't find a specific non-fiction title in large print, an e-reader like a Kindle or Kobo solves the problem permanently. Set your font to 24pt and every book becomes large print. For non-fiction readers especially, this is often the best investment — it opens up the entire catalogue instead of waiting for publishers to decide what's "worth" printing in large text.

Science & Nature in Large Print

Science writing has a small but dedicated large print audience:

A Short History of Nearly Everything — Bill Bryson (Thorndike Press). Bryson's science writing is entertaining and accessible. Available in large print.
The Body — Bill Bryson (Random House Large Print). Another Bryson winner. He's one of the few science writers who consistently gets large print editions.
Braiding Sweetgrass — Robin Wall Kimmerer. Originally a sleeper hit, now a massive bestseller. Large print edition available.

Building a Large Print Non-Fiction Collection

Here's the practical approach: buy large print editions of the books you'll re-read or keep on your shelf. For everything else, use your library (physical large print or CELA digital) or an e-reader.

If you're spending more than $50/month on large print non-fiction, a Kobo or Kindle pays for itself within a few months. The entire Kindle store becomes your large print library.

For gifting, large print non-fiction makes a thoughtful choice. A large print biography of someone's favourite historical figure is a gift that shows real thought.