04 Sep 2012
September 4, 2012 (Toronto, ON) – The 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize jury today announced its longlist of books in the running for this year’s award. The jury selected 13 titles out of 142 books, put forward by 51 publishers, from every region of Canada.
This year’s jury is made up of Irish author and screen writer Roddy Doyle (Dublin, Ireland); Canadian publisher, writer and essayist Anna Porter (Toronto, Canada); and American author and satirist Gary Shteyngart (New York City, USA).
From a large and highly competitive field, the Scotiabank Giller Prize jury selected the following titles for this year’s longlist:
Marjorie Celona for her novel Y, published by Hamish Hamilton Canada
Lauren B. Davis for her novel Our Daily Bread, published by HarperCollins Canada
Cary Fagan for his short story collection My Life Among the Apes, published by Cormorant Books
Will Ferguson for his novel 419, published by Viking Canada
Robert Hough for his novel Dr. Brinkley’s Tower, published by House of Anansi Press
Billie Livingston for her novel One Good Hustle, published by Random House Canada
Annabel Lyon for her novel The Sweet Girl, published by Random House Canada
Alix Ohlin for her novel Inside, published by House of Anansi Press
Katrina Onstad for her novel Everybody Has Everything, published by McClelland & Stewart/Emblem
CS Richardson for his novel The Emperor of Paris, published by Doubleday Canada
Nancy Richler for her novel The Imposter Bride, published by HarperCollins Canada
Kim Thúy for her novel Ru, translated by Sheila Fischman, published by Random House Canada
Russell Wangersky for his short story collection Whirl Away, published by Thomas Allen Publishers
Of the longlist, the jury writes:
“We are delighted with this wonderfully diverse collection of fiction by formidably talented writers offering us the exciting, varied landscapes of their imagination. The language of these books – some lyrical, others earthy, or soulful, dramatic, hushed, or loud – invites you to share stories you will want to follow ’til the last word. We know they will stay with you, as they have stayed with us.”
Readers’ Choice 2012
For the second year in a row, the prize, with its broadcast partner CBC, launched a campaign inviting the public to choose their favourite book from a list of fiction eligible for the 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
The Readers’ Choice contest on CBC Books received thousands of nominations from passionate readers throughout August. The 10 most-nominated books were put to a public vote, in which voters decided this year's popular choice. The Readers' Choice selection was The Beggar's Opera by Peggy Blair, published by Penguin Canada.
The names of the Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists will be revealed at a news conference in Toronto on Monday, October 1st. The winner will be announced at a gala ceremony in Toronto on Tuesday, October 30th during a live broadcast on CBC Television.
About CBC Books:
CBC Books features all of CBC’s rich literary content across all platforms – audio, video and digital. This one-stop destination for book lovers includes in-depth information on books, exclusive interviews with authors, the latest news stories from the publishing world, bestseller lists, discussions, and blogs. It is an online meeting place where literary enthusiasts can find the books they want to read, connect with other Canadians who love to read as much as they do, and keep up on all of CBC’s major literary events and programs such as Canada Reads, the Massey Lectures and Canada Writes.
About CBC/Radio-Canada:
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus five languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.
About Scotiabank:
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $45 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit www.scotiabank.com.
The Scotiabank Giller Prize awards $50,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English, and $5,000 to each of the finalists.
The Scotiabank Giller Prize is named in honour of the late literary journalist Doris Giller
and was founded in 1994 by her husband, Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch.
Two thousand and twelve marks the 19th year of the prize