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Giller Prize

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Scotiabank Giller Prize
DescriptionEnglish-language Canadian fiction including translations
CountryCanada
Presented byScotiabank and Jack Rabinovitch
First awarded1994
Websitehttp://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/

The Scotiabank Giller Prize, or Giller Prize, is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries.[1] The prize was established as the Giller Prize in 1994 by Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife Doris Giller, a former literary editor at the Toronto Star, and is awarded in November of each year along with a cash reward (then CAN$25,000).

On September 22, 2005, the Giller Prize established an endorsement deal with Scotiabank, a major Canadian bank. The total prize package for the award was increased to $50,000, with $40,000 presented to the winning author and $2,500 each for the other four shortlisted nominees. The award's official name was also changed at that time to the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

In 2006, the prize instituted a longlist for the first time, comprising no fewer than 10 and no more than 15 titles. In 2008, the prize fund was increased to $50,000 for the winning author and $5,000 for each of the authors on the shortlist.

Over the years, the Scotiabank Giller Prize has been awarded to emerging and established authors from both small independent and large publishing houses in Canada.

Cultural debate

Following Vincent Lam's win of the Giller Prize in 2006, Geist columnist Stephen Henighan criticized the Giller Prize for its apparent dependency for its shortlists and winners on books published by Bertelsmann AG-affiliated Canadian publishing houses, all of which are based in Toronto.

Arguing that the trend towards centralization of Canadian publishing in Toronto has led to a monopolistic control of the Giller Prize by Bertelsmann and its authors, Henighan wrote, "Year after year the vast majority of the books shortlisted for the Giller came from the triumvirate of publishers owned by the Bertelsmann Group: Knopf Canada, Doubleday Canada and Random House Canada. Like the three musketeers, this trio is in fact a quartet: Bertelsmann also owns 25 percent of McClelland & Stewart, and now manages M&S’s marketing."[2] Henighan added that all of the Giller Prize winners from 1994 to 2004, with the exception of Mordecai Richler, lived within a two-hour drive of downtown Toronto.

The article raised debate within the media and in the wider public over the credibility of the Giller Prize.[3][4][5][6]

In 2010, there was much talk about how small presses dominated that year’s shortlist.[7] Montrealer Johanna Skibsrud won the Giller Prize that year for her novel The Sentimentalists, published by independent Gaspereau Press. The company produces books using a 1960s offset printing press and hand-bindery equipment.[8] As a result, while there was great demand for the book in the marketplace, the publisher had trouble keeping up with production.[9] In the end, they turned to Douglas & McIntyre,[10] a large West-coast publisher, to print copies of the book.

The Gaspereau situation prompted an examination within the cultural community about what makes a book and the nature of publishing and marketing books.[11] It also sparked debate about the role of e-books.[12]

Nominees and winners

1994

Juried by Alice Munro, Mordecai Richler, and David Staines.

1995

Juried by Mordecai Richler, David Staines, and Jane Urquhart.

1996

Juried by Bonnie Burnard, Carol Shields, and David Staines.

1997

Juried by Bonnie Burnard, Mavis Gallant, and Peter Gzowski.

1998

Juried by Margaret Atwood, Guy Vanderhaeghe, and Peter Gzowski.

1999

Juried by Alberto Manguel, Judith Mappin, and Nino Ricci.

2000

Juried by Margaret Atwood, Alistair MacLeod, and Jane Urquhart.

In 2000, the award was presented to two writers. This is the only time the Giller has ever resulted in a tie, and Rabinovitch has advised subsequent Giller juries that they must choose a single winner.

2001

Juried by David Adams Richards, Joan Clark, and Robert Fulford.

2002

Juried by Barbara Gowdy, Thomas King, and W. H. New.

2003

M. G. Vassanji, who won the first Giller Prize in 1994, became the first repeat winner in 2003. The award was juried by Rosalie Abella, David Staines, and Rudy Wiebe.

2004

Juried by M. G. Vassanji, Alistair MacLeod, and Charlotte Gray.

2005

Juried by Warren Cariou, Elizabeth Hay, and Richard B. Wright.

2006

Juried by Adrienne Clarkson, Alice Munro, and Michael Winter.[13]

2007

Juried by David Bergen, Camilla Gibb, and Lorna Goodison.

2008

Juried by Margaret Atwood, Bob Rae, and Colm Toibin.

2009

Juried by Russell Banks, Victoria Glendinning, and Alistair MacLeod.[14]

2010

Juried by Michael Enright, Claire Messud and Ali Smith.[15]

2011

Juried by Howard Norman, Annabel Lyon and Andrew O'Hagan.[16]

2012

Juried by Roddy Doyle, Gary Shteyngart and Anna Porter.[17]

Longlists

2006

In 2006, the Giller Prize publicized its preliminary longlist for the first time.

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

In 2011, the Giller Prize committee incorporated a Readers' Choice process into its longlist for the first time, allowing members of the general public to nominate and make the case for books of their own choosing, from which the winning book would be included in the long list. The Readers' Choice selection was Myrna Dey's novel Extensions.[19]

2012

2013

References

  1. ^ The Scotiabank Giller Prize: Submissions.
  2. ^ Stephen Henighan (2006). "Kingmakers". Geist. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  3. ^ Shinan Govani (2007-02-28). "An anti-Giller gadfly in Guelph". National Post. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  4. ^ Bryony Lewicki (2007-01-23). "Secrets of the Canadian literary cabal". Quillblog. Quill & Quire. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  5. ^ Ron Nurwisah (2007-01-23). "Are The Gillers Rigged?". Torontoist.com. Gothamist. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  6. ^ Nathan Whitlock (2007-01-22). "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean Margaret Atwood isn't out to get me". Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  7. ^ James Adams (2010-10-05). "The Giller Prize: Could this be the year of the small press?". The Globe And Mail. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  8. ^ Gaspereau Press Background
  9. ^ James Barber (2010-11-10). "Author's angst grows over unavailability of Giller winner". The Globe And Mail. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  10. ^ Mark Medley (2010-11-15). "Gaspereau Press teams up with Douglas & McIntyre for The Sentimentalists". National Post. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  11. ^ Globe Editorial (2010-11-10). "Giller is enough to drive you to Gasperation". The Globe And Mail. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
  12. ^ Nick Patch (2010-11-12). "Scarcity of Giller-winning 'Sentimentalists' a boon to eBook sales". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  13. ^ The Great Unknowns: CBC Arts Online analyzes the literary dash for the Giller cash. cbc.ca, October 3, 2006.
  14. ^ http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/media.htm
  15. ^ "Rachman, Bergen, Urquhart and Coupland on Giller long list". The Globe and Mail, September 20, 2010.
  16. ^ "DeWitt and Edugyan add Giller nods to Booker nominations". The Globe and Mail, October 4, 2011.
  17. ^ "Scotiabank Giller Prize short list announced". Toronto Star, October 1, 2012.
  18. ^ "Will Ferguson takes Giller Prize for novel 419". Toronto Star, October 30, 2012.
  19. ^ "DeWitt, Edugyan, Ondaatje and Vanderhaege among 17 on Giller long list". The Globe and Mail, September 6, 2011.
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