Elizabeth Hay Wins the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize

06 Nov 2007

Toronto, ON (November 6, 2007) - Elizabeth Hay has been named the 2007 winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novel Late Nights on Air, published by McClelland & Stewart. The announcement was made at a black-tie dinner and award ceremony broadcast that drew more than 450 members of the publishing, media and arts communities.

Hosted by Canada AM’s Seamus O’Regan, the Scotiabank Giller Prize gala aired live on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo! and will be broadcast again in primetime on CTV the following night on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.

The largest annual prize for fiction in the country, the Scotiabank Giller Prize awards $40,000 each year to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English and $2,500 to each of the finalists. A shortlist of five authors and their books was announced on October 9, 2007. Those finalists were: 

Selected by an esteemed jury panel comprised of author and 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner David Bergen, author Camilla Gibb, and author, poet, and artist Lorna Goodison, the five finalists were chosen from a record 108 books submitted for consideration by 46 publishing houses from every region of the country.

Of the winning book, the jury remarked:


“Elizabeth Hays' Late Nights on Air is a splendid achievement. With rare fineness-of-feeling and unwavering authority, she draws the reader into the unsettling parallel universe of a small Canadian radio station, where a cast of sad, beautiful dreamers and slightly-crazed zanies proceed to break our hearts even as they cause us to fall down on the floor laughing. Set against the background of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, this extraordinary book is in some ways a dazzling virtuoso praise song to Canada and things Canadian; but ultimately it is a flawlessly-crafted and timeless story, masterfully told.”

Elizabeth Hay’s previous novels are A Student of Weather, which was a Giller Prize finalist, and Garbo Laughs, which won the Ottawa Book Award and was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award. She is also the author of two books of non-fiction and two collections of short stories, Small Change, the more recent, published in 1997. In 2002, she received the prestigious Marian Engel Award. Elizabeth Hay has worked for CBC Radio in Yellowknife, Winnipeg, and Toronto. She lives in Ottawa.

During tonight’s award ceremony, a roster of celebrity presenters – Gordon Pinsent, John Ralston Saul, Lisa Ray, Kelly Rowan and Pamela Wallin – introduced video profiles of the shortlisted authors, and presented each of them with a leather bound copy of their book.

Guess the Giller
The Guessthegiller.ca contest ran this year in over 20 public library systems and was promoted through Scotiabank’s 950 branches across the country. A recent electronic tally of on-line votes show nearly 4,000 people have cast ballots for who they thought would emerge the winner on Nov. 6. The contest offers a grand prize of an all-expense paid trip for two to one of Canada’s pre-eminent literary festivals. The runner-up prizes are complete sets of this year’s shortlisted books autographed by the authors.

Scotiabank
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2006 the Bank provided more than $42 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. Scotiabank is on the World Wide Web at www.scotiabank.com.

Bravo!

Bravo! is a sojourn in the television landscape where viewers make a regular appointment with the arts. Each day of the week offers the opportunity to delve into a unique art form. Dance, music, drama, literature, cinema, great performers and visual arts - Monday to Sunday, Bravo! has a day for every artistic pursuit. Make an appointment with the arts each night on Bravo! (www.bravo.ca). Bravo! is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company.

CTV
CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV National News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.


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For further information:

The Scotiabank Giller Prize:
Please contact: Elana Rabinovitch 416.934.0755

CTV: 
Please contact: Renée Dupuis 416.332.4596

Scotiabank:
Please contact: Joe Konecny 416.933.1795