Giller Winner!!!

Last night the Scotiabank Giller Prize winner was announced in a wonderful fashion.  Aired on CBC, the award show featured the best names in Canadian literature and entertainment and was hosted by the fantastic Jian Ghomeshi.

So obviously, everyone wants to know who the winner was and that honour went to....


Will Ferguson for his novel "419"

Obviously this wasn't my choice for the winner and I must admit I was a little surprised when it was announced.  I really enjoyed the book, but there were just others I enjoyed more.  But that's the beauty of a literary prize - the books are diverse and we each have our personal tastes but what the books all have in common is great writing.  

This win speaks to the strength of Canadian literature.  It shows that CanLit is global, that our authors are diverse and that we have a rich literary landscape.  Ferguson is a humour and travel writer and this is his first novel that is serious and dark.  He is a very skilled writer and what I really appreciated about 419 was the research that went into it.  It can be dangerous writing about cultures and countries you're not from so in depth, but Ferguson easily transports you deep into Nigeria without any trouble.

A special mention goes out to Alix Ohlin, Nancy Richler, Russell Wangersky and Kim Thuy for their amazing shortlisted novels that were all well-deserving of the acknowledgment, to the long listed authors and to every Canadian author out there who has contributed to the rich collection of work we affectionately call CanLit.  Every year our writers continually put out amazing work that captures who we are as a country and people and it's another reason why I'm proud to be Canadian.

For more about 419 you can read my review here.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the form...
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t...
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a t...
Read more