September 15, 2025 (Toronto, Ontario) – Fourteen outstanding Canadian authors have been named to the 2025 Giller Prize longlist. The 14 titles were chosen from a field of more than 100 books submitted by publishers across Canada.

The longlist for the 2025 Giller Prize is:

• André Alexis for his short story collection Other Worlds, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Mona Awad for her novel We Love You, Bunny, published by Scribner Canada
• Kirti Bhadresa for her short story collection An Astonishment of Stars, published by ECW Press
• Eddy Boudel Tan for his novel The Tiger and the Cosmonaut, published by Viking Canada
• Fanny Britt for her novel Sugaring Off, (translated by Susan Ouriou), published by Book*hug Press
• Joanna Cockerline for her novel Still, published by The Porcupine’s Quill
• Emma Donoghue for her novel The Paris Express, published by Harper Avenue
• Holly Kennedy for her novel The Sideways Life of Denny Voss, published by Lake Union Publishing
• Emma Knight for her novel The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus, published by Viking Canada
• Amanda Leduc for her novel Wild Life, published by Random House Canada
• Otoniya J. Okot Bitek for her novel We, The Kindling, published by Alchemy By Knopf Canada
• Bindu Suresh for her novel The Road Between Us, published by Assembly Press
• Souvankham Thammavongsa for her novel Pick a Colour, published by Knopf Canada
• Ian Williams for his novel You’ve Changed, published by Random House Canada

The longlist was selected by a jury panel of acclaimed Canadian writers chaired by fiction author and creative writing professor, Dionne Irving. Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, Dionne is the author of Quint and The Islands. Her work has appeared in Story, Boulevard, LitHub, Missouri Review, and New Delta Review, among other journals and magazines. The Islands was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Giller Prize, the New American Voices Award and the Clara Johnson Award. Irving teaches in the Creative Writing Program and the Initiative on Race and Resilience at the University of Notre Dame.

Joining Dionne on the jury is fellow Canadian author Loghan Paylor. Loghan is a queer, trans author who lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their short fiction and essays have previously appeared in Room and Prairie Fire, among others. Paylor has a master’s in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, and a day job as a professional geek. Their first novel, The Cure for Drowning, was longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize and named a Globe and Mail Best Book of 2024.

Completing the jury is Deepa Rajagopalan, author of the short story collection Peacocks of Instagram, shortlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize. She won the 2021 PEN Canada New Voices Award for the title story of the collection. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. She has lived in many cities across India, the United States and Canada. Deepa works in the tech industry in Toronto.

Rakuten Kobo provided each of the jury members with a Kobo Elipsa 2E eReader to support them on their reading journey.

Of the longlist, the jury wrote:

“The books on this year’s Giller Prize longlist represent a range of Canadian identities and experiences: characters on the open prairies, claustrophobic communities in our urban centers, and boundless representations of the imagined worlds in which Canadians find themselves. The powerful voices on this longlist depict a Canada and a world that’s compelling, dangerous, and simultaneously compassionate and inviting. These works illuminate the everyday and the otherworldly, considering what it means to be human in these funny, sad, joyful, and complicated times. Our longlist explicates the best and worst of us and elevates stories that are concerned with our country and the world beyond its borders, our preoccupations with the land we inhabit and disturb. These books investigate what it means to live here. Whenever that might be. They uncover unexpected communities and friendships, rendering with precision and beauty the anxieties and heartaches tethered to life and death. These texts demonstrate how we are an interconnected, global community, however cacophonous our collective cries. The power of the voices on this year’s longlist astonished the judges. These authors urgently compel readers to be transported, to be lifted up, and ultimately, to love.”

“This longlist is tremendously exciting. Featuring three national bestsellers, four fiction debuts, nine first-time nominees, three former Giller winners, one translation, and 14 authors from across the country, this list is a true reflection of the finest fiction this country has to offer.”
– Elana Rabinovitch, Executive Director, Giller Prize

The Giller Prize shortlist will be announced on Monday, October 6, 2025, at 10 a.m. ET.

Watch the 2025 Giller Prize on Monday, November 17, at 9 p.m. (11:30 p.m. AT, 12 a.m. NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem. The program will also be available on CBC’s YouTube channel, and listeners can tune into a broadcast special on CBC Radio and CBC Listen.

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Once again, the winner of the 2025 Giller Prize will receive a two-week writers residency in the Leighton Artist Studios program at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. This residency includes the use of a private studio, access to Banff Centre facilities including the Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives, and access to Banff Centre talks, events, and performances taking place during the residency.

For the seventh year in a row, the winner of the Giller Prize will be honoured by the San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival in Mexico. Founded in 2006, the San Miguel Writers’ Conference is a premier international literary event set in the vibrant cultural heart of Mexico. The winner will be featured in a one-on-one conversation inclusive of a short reading followed by a Q&A period with the audience. This event will take place on Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. local time.

Now in its second year, the Giller Mantella Scholarship awards $10,000 to three Black, Indigenous, or racialized students across Canada graduating high school and interested in continued education in creative writing and literature. Applications for 2026 will open in March.

About the Prize
Founded by Jack Rabinovitch in 1994, the Giller Prize is Canada’s leading and most influential literary prize for fiction. The Giller Effect has been recognized industry-wide as one of the top drivers of book sales in Canada. The Giller Prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each of the finalists. The award is named in honour of Jack Rabinovitch’s wife, the late literary journalist, Doris Giller.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Rakuten Kobo Inc. is the world’s digital bookseller created by and for book lovers. Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten Group, Inc. and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo’s millions of worldwide users can read anytime, anywhere, and on any device. With a mission to make reading lives better for all, Rakuten Kobo connects readers to stories using thoughtful and personalized curation of eBooks and audiobooks, and the best dedicated eReaders and apps for reading. With the singular focus of making reading lives the best they can be, Kobo’s open platform allows people to fit reading into more moments in their busy lives.

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Founded in 1933, Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and leadership development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creative decision-making across dozens of disciplines, from the fine arts to Indigenous Wise Practices. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to move everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, thinkers, and audiences – to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to build an innovative, inspiring future through education, performances, convenings, and public outreach.

About Mantella Corporation
Mantella Corporation was established in 1946 and remains one of the largest Canadian privately held family-owned real estate and land development companies. Mantella Corporation manages a prestigious portfolio of commercial and industrial buildings, as well as prime development properties in Ontario. We focus on community, supporting over 30 diverse charitable organizations aiding children, hospitals, youth underserved communities, education, conservation of wildlife and more. We are committed to giving back through significant dedicated volunteer efforts, donations, sponsorships and grants.

About the San Miguel Writers’ Conference
Founded 21 years ago, the San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival is one of the most celebrated literary gatherings across North America. Based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, this annual event brings together writers, readers, and thinkers from around the world, offering a dynamic program of workshops, keynotes, and panel discussions. Dedicated to fostering a vibrant, inclusive community of voices, the conference supports emerging and established writers alike, with a special commitment to our Spanish-speaking scholarship program for Mexican students. Through its innovative programming, cross-cultural exchange, and support for the literary arts, the San Miguel Writers’ Conference continues to inspire creativity, dialogue, and literary excellence.

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