The Giller Prize Presents its 2024 Shortlist
October 9, 2024
October 9, 2024 (Toronto, ON) – Today the Giller Prize announced its shortlist for Canada’s pre-eminent literary award for Canadian fiction. This year’s Giller Prize shortlist celebrates five of the country’s top authors as it marks its 31st anniversary raising the profiles of literary fiction writers from all across the country.
“For more than three decades, the Giller Prize has helped bring ideas to life by celebrating Canadian fiction and has inspired generations of writers to put pen to paper and share their creativity with the world. This year is no different; the five titles on the shortlist are exceptional works of art that inhabit entire worlds and reflect them back to us, granting us a much-needed pause to meditate about preconceived notions, ideas and the status quo.” – Elana Rabinovitch, Executive Director, Giller Prize
The authors on the 2024 Giller Prize shortlist are:
- Éric Chacour for his novel What I Know About You (translated by Pablo Strauss), published by Coach House Books
- Anne Fleming for her novel Curiosities, published by Knopf Canada
- Conor Kerr for his novel Prairie Edge, published by Strange Light
- Anne Michaels for her novel Held, published by McClelland & Stewart
- Deepa Rajagopalan for her short story collection Peacocks of Instagram, published by House of Anansi Press
This year’s jury, made up of Canadian authors Kevin Chong and Noah Richler (jury chair), and Canadian singer-songwriter Molly Johnson narrowed down more than 100 submitted works to curate a shortlist that will enrich readers and future generations of writers. Rakuten Kobo provided the jury with Kobo Libra 2 eReaders to support them on their reading journey.
Read the jury citations about each of the shortlisted authors.
The ceremony honoring the finalists and announcing the winner will be broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem on November 18, 2024 at 9 p.m. (11:30 p.m. AT, 12 a.m. NT), and on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen at 9 p.m. (10 AT, 10:30 NT).
The 2024 Giller Prize shortlisted books are available in accessible format for print-disabled Canadians through the National Network for Equitable Library Services (NNELS) and the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA).
To receive updates from the Giller Prize, please subscribe to the newsletter.
This year, the Giller Foundation partnered with Mantella Corporation to create the Giller Mantella Scholarship. This 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. This year’s scholarship recipients are Nida Atique, Samar Jain, and Eunsae Lee. The program will run for a total of three years with the potential to be extended. Applications for 2025 will open in March.
The Giller Foundation continues its partnership with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The Banff Centre will provide a two-week writer’s residency in the Leighton Artist Studios in the Town of Banff, Alberta, to the 2024 Giller Prize winner. 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 sixth year in a row, San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival in Mexico will host the winner of the Giller Prize. Founded in 2006, the San Miguel Writers’ Conference is a premier international literary event set in the vibrant cultural heart of Mexico. The 2024 prize 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 16, 2025 from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. local time.
Once again, the Toronto Public Library will host a ticketed event on November 19 featuring the winner of the 2024 Prize. It will be a one-hour conversation with the winner followed by a Q&A period with the audience
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. To date, the Giller Prize has awarded more than two million dollars to Canadian writers. The award is named in honour of Jack Rabinovitch’s wife, the late literary journalist, Doris Giller. The Giller Prize is sponsored by Scotiabank, CBC Books, Mantella Corporation, Indigo, and the Azrieli Foundation.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank’s vision is to be our clients’ most trusted financial partner, to deliver sustainable, profitable growth and maximize total shareholder return. Guided by our purpose: “for every future,” we help our clients, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With assets of approximately $1.4 trillion (as at July 31, 2024), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on X @Scotiabank.
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. 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 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 Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organization leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential.
gillerprizemedia@thetarogroup.com