The list of 14 Canadian authors nominated for one of the country’s top literary awards has now been whittled down to a shortlist of five.
The Giller Prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian fiction, revealed on Monday morning its slate of finalists, who will each vie for the $100,000 prize at a ceremony next month.
The shortlisted writers include former Giller Prizewinner Souvankham Thammavongsa for “Pick a Colour,” which follows a nail salon owner over the course of a day, and four-time nominee Emma Donoghue for “The Paris Express,” her historical novel about the 1895 Montparnasse train derailment.
Also in the running are Mona Awad for “We Love You, Bunny,” a sequel to her horror satire “Bunny”; first-time nominee Eddy Boudel Tan for the mystery novel “The Tiger and the Cosmonaut”; and Emma Knight for “The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus,” a witty coming-of-age story about a young woman falling in love for the first time while also unravelling a family secret.
“The five titles on the shortlist are highly readable, deeply immersive, and profoundly unique works of art that build distinctive worlds and craft striking characters to inspire us, challenge us, and to push the medium of literary fiction forward,” said Elana Rabinovitch, executive director of the Giller Prize, in a statement announcing the finalists.
This year’s prize will be decided by a jury of three Canadian authors: Dionne Irving, Loghan Paylor and Deepa Rajagopalan. The winning novel, whose author will receive a $100,000 prize, will be revealed at a ceremony on Nov. 17, which will be televised by CBC and hosted by Rick Mercer. The finalists will also receive $10,000.
