Six Canadian authors named to the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist

The 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist was announced, celebrating six Canadian writers and the 26th edition of the Prize.

This year’s jury, comprised of Canadian authors Donna Bailey Nurse, Randy Boyagoda (jury chair) and Canadian playwright José Teodoro, along with Scottish-Sierra Leonean author Aminatta Forna and Bosnian-American author Aleksandar (Sasha) Hemon, narrowed down the 117 submitted works to 12 to create the longlist (announced on September 3, in St. John’s, NL) and today announced the six shortlisted authors.

The 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist is:

Read the jury citations about each of the shortlisted
authors.

The 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlisted books are available in
accessible format for print-disabled Canadians through the National Network for
Equitable Library Service NNELS (nnels.ca) and the Centre for Equitable Library Access CELA
(celalibrary.ca).

CBC is pleased to announce the Juno Award winning singer-songwriter,
broadcaster, actress and author Jann Arden as the host of the Scotiabank Giller
Prize Gala on November 18. Arden has won eight Juno Awards and has writtenfour
books including Falling Backwards (2011) and Feeding My Mother (2017). Arden is
also the star of  Jann, one of Canada’s most popular comedy TV series.
Arden was also inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of
Fame.

The 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize gala will broadcast live on CBC at 9
p.m. (11:30 AT/12 midnight NT). A livestream will begin at 9 p.m. ET on
CBC Books and the free CBC Gem streaming service. The gala will also be
available as a broadcast special on CBC Radio One at 9 p.m. (10
AT/10:30 NT), once again hosted by The Next Chapter’s Shelagh
Rogers and CBC q books columnist, Jael Richardson. 

Quotes

“This year’s shortlist shows that Canadian fiction is clearly at the
top of its game. These six books will captivate and enthrall and deserve to be
read and read widely. The authors have rightfully earned their spots as
finalists for this year’s Scotiabank Giller Prize.”
– Elana Rabinovitch, Executive Director, Scotiabank Giller Prize

“Scotiabank has proudly stood as the title sponsor of the Scotiabank
Giller Prize since 2005 and we are thrilled to continue to support this
celebration of excellence in Canadian literature. As an organization,
Scotiabank has a deep and long-time commitment to supporting arts and culture
in Canada. We believe the arts enrich our communities and help to create new
opportunities for the spectacular talent across our country. We congratulate
the impressive authors who make up the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize
shortlist.”
– John Doig, Executive Vice President, Retail Distribution, Scotiabank

“I am so excited to be hosting the Scotiabank Giller Prize this year!
I  have been such an avid reader all my life and words have literally
shaped my entire career. It is an honour to be a small part of this very
important celebration of our brilliant Canadian authors.”
– Jann Arden, Host of the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize Gala

The Scotiabank Giller Prize is pleased once again to present our Between
the Pages series of readings, featuring this year’s shortlisted authors.

Between the Pages: An Evening with the Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalists will
take you inside the minds and creative lives of the writers on the 2019
shortlist. All venues are wheelchair accessible and an American Sign Language
(ASL) interpreter will be present.

The Between the Pages tour will stop in the following
locations:

  • Ottawa – October
    16
  • Halifax – October
    18
  • Vancouver – October
    21
  • Winnipeg –
    October 23
  • Toronto –
    October 28
  • New York –
    October 30

For more information about the Between the Pages
tour, please visit: www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/between-the-pages