20 Sep 2009
The 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize jury today announced its longlist of books in the running for this year's prize. The jury selected 12 titles out of 96 books, submitted by 39 publishers from every region of Canada.
Celebrated American novelist and short story writer Russell Banks, acclaimed UK author and journalist Victoria Glendinning, and distinguished Canadian writer and professor, Alistair MacLeod made up the 2009 jury.
Two thousand and nine marks the sixteenth year of the prize.
From a highly competitive field, the Scotiabank Giller jury has selected the following titles for this year's longlist:
Margaret Atwood for her novel THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD, published by McClelland & Stewart
Martha Bailie for her novel THE INCIDENT REPORT, published by Pedlar Press
Kim Echlin for her novel THE DISAPPEARED, published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Canada
Claire Holden Rothman for her novel THE HEART SPECIALIST, published by Cormorant Books
Paulette Jiles for her novel THE COLOUR OF LIGHTNING, published by HarperCollins Publishers
Jeanette Lynes for her novel THE FACTORY VOICE, published by Coteau Books
Annabel Lyon for her novel THE GOLDEN MEAN, published by Random House Canada
Linden MacIntyre for his novel THE BISHOP'S MAN, published by Random House Canada
Colin McAdam for his novel FALL, published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Canada
Anne Michaels for her novel THE WINTER VAULT, published by McClelland & Stewart
Shani Mootoo for her novel VALMIKI'S DAUGHTER, published by House of Anansi Press
Kate Pullinger for her novel THE MISTRESS OF NOTHING, published by McArthur & Company
Of the longlist, the jury writes:
"Though they vary stylistically and structurally and connect with and extend a range of novelistic traditions, every one of these twelve books is an excellent, beautifully crafted work of fiction with a cast of vividly realized, memorable characters. We were particularly impressed by the authors' broad and deep visions of society and their profound affection for humanity and the natural world. Equally impressive is their imaginative engagement with history, from that of ancient Greece to yesterday's breaking news, and even in a few cases, to the history of a dystopian future."
The shortlisted finalists will be announced at a news conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto on Tuesday, October 6th.
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.