#BOOKS: WINNERS OF 2024 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARDS (GGBOOKS) ANNOUNCED

The Canada Council for the Arts is pleased to announce the 2024 winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks). These prestigious awards celebrate remarkable literary works published in Canada, in both official languages, across seven categories, and include books for readers of all ages.

“Each of this year’s Governor General’s Literary Awards winning books offers readers a fresh and unique journey through storytelling. The 2024 GGBooks are remarkable for how they capture the essence of today’s world, inviting us to reflect and engage deeply. The works are being celebrated not only for their brilliance on the page but also for the lasting impact they will have on literature and future generations of readers.”

— Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts

The 14 winning books were chosen by the same 14 peer assessment committees that were convened to select the 35 English-language and 35 French-language finalists announced several weeks ago. This year’s peer assessment committees followed a rigorous process in their deliberations and selection of the winners from among the 1,529 nominated books (978 in English and 551 in French) published in Canada in 2023–24.

About the GGBooks

Founded in 1936, the Governor General’s Literary Awards are some of the oldest and most prestigious literary prizes in Canada, with a total annual prize value of $450,000.

The Canada Council for the Arts has funded, administered and promoted these awards since 1959.
Finalists are selected by category-specific, language-based peer assessment committees (seven in English and seven in French). This year, the committees considered eligible books published between August 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

The writers, translators and illustrators whose books are selected as the winner in a given category receive a $25,000 prize. Publishers receive $3,000 to promote the winning book; finalists receive $1,000 each.
English-language winners for 2024 (seven categories)

Fiction
Empty Spaces – Jordan Abel (Edmonton, Alberta), McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House Canada)

Poetry
Scientific Marvel – Chimwemwe Undi (Winnipeg, Manitoba), House of Anansi Press

Drama
There Is Violence and There Is Righteous Violence and There Is Death, or the Born-Again Crow – Caleigh Crow (Calgary, Alberta), Playwrights Canada Press

Non-fiction
Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre – Niigaan Sinclair (Winnipeg, Manitoba), McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House Canada)

Young People’s Literature – Text
Crash Landing – Li Charmaine Anne (New Westminster, British Columbia), Annick Press

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
Skating Wild on an Inland Sea – Jean E. Pendziwol (Thunder Bay, Ontario) and Todd Stewart (Montréal, Quebec), Groundwood Books (House of Anansi)

Translation (from French to English)
Nights Too Short to Dance – Katia Grubisic (Montréal, Quebec), Second Story Press; a translation of Un cœur habité de mille voix, by Marie-Claire Blais

French-language winners for 2024 (seven categories)

Fiction
Lait cru – Steve Poutré (Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) Éditions Alto

Poetry
poème dégénéré – névé dumas (La Pêche, Quebec), L’Oie de Cravan

Drama
Wollstonecraft – Sarah Berthiaume (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions de Ta Mère

Non-fiction
Hors jeu : Chronique culturelle et féministe sur l’industrie du sport professionnel – Florence-Agathe Dubé-Moreau (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions du remue-ménage

Young People’s Literature – Text
Une bulle en dehors du temps – Stéfani Meunier (Montréal, Quebec), Leméac Éditeur

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
Le premier arbre de Noël – Ovila Fontaine (Maliotenam, Quebec) et Charlotte Parent (Bécancour, Quebec), Éditions La Pastèque

Translation (from English to French)
Ristigouche: Le long cours de la rivière sauvage – Éric Fontaine (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions du Boréal; a translation of Restigouche: The Long Run of the Wild River

Makeup of the 2024 English-language peer assessment committees
Fiction: Chris Eaton, Francesca Ekwuyasi and Jen Ferguson
Poetry: Kathryn Mockler, Heather Nolan and Tolu Oloruntoba
Drama: Kevin Kerr, Marcia Johnson and Kamila Sediego
Non-fiction: Jordan Abel, Robyn Maynard and Mary Soderstrom
Young People’s Literature – Text: Sarah Everett, Louisa Onomé and Ken Setterington
Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books: Kyrsten Brooker, Shauntay Grant and Kevin Sylvester
Translation (from French to English): Peter Feldstein, Jessica Moore and Anne-Marie Wheeler
Makeup of the 2024 French-language peer assessment committees
Fiction: Michael Delisle, Andrée Michaud and Maya Ombasic
Poetry: Bathélemy Bolivar, Virginie Chaloux-Gendron and Daria Colonna
Drama: Madeleine Blais-Dahlem, Antoine Côté Legault and Anne-Marie Olivier
Non-fiction: Marie-Andrée Lamontagne, Pierrot Ross-Tremblay and Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny
Young People’s Literature – Text: Mario Brassard, Christine Sioui Wawanoloath and Élise Turcotte
Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books: Clément de Gaulejac, Diane Obomsawin and Isabelle Picard
Translation (from English to French): Jeannot Clair, Danielle LeBlanc and Nésida Loyer

#FIRSTLOOK: 2024 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARDS (GGBOOKS) FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The Canada Council for the Arts is pleased to announce the 2024 finalists in the Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks). These prestigious awards celebrate works published in Canada, in both official languages, across seven categories, and include books for readers of all ages.

“At the Canada Council for the Arts, we are delighted to celebrate the announcement of the 2024 Governor General’s Literary Awards finalists. These extraordinary books are not just stories—they are works of art that offer readers immersive and enriching experiences. Each of the creators has crafted something truly special, inviting us to see the world from a new perspective. We hope readers will embrace these works with the appreciation they deserve as enduring contributions to our literary and cultural heritage.”

— Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts

Following a rigorous process, the peer assessment committees convened by the Canada Council have selected 70 books published in Canada over the last year as the 2024 finalists.

Mark your calendars
The 14 winners will be announced on ggbooks.ca on November 13, 2024.

About the GGBooks
Founded in 1936, the Governor General’s Literary Awards are some of the oldest and most prestigious literary prizes in Canada, with a total annual prize value of $450,000.

The Canada Council for the Arts has funded, administered and promoted these awards since 1959.
Finalists are selected by category-specific, language-based peer assessment committees (seven in English and seven in French). This year, the committees considered eligible books published between August 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

The writers, translators and illustrators whose books are selected as the winner in a given category receive a $25,000 prize. Publishers receive $3,000 to promote the winning book; finalists receive $1,000 each.

English-language finalists for 2024 (seven categories)
Fiction
Code Noir – Canisia Lubrin (Whitby, Ontario), Knopf Canada (Penguin Random House)
Empty Spaces – Jordan Abel (Edmonton, Alberta), McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House Canada)
The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: Vol. 1: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island – Kent Monkman, Gisèle Gordon (Toronto, Ontario (both)), McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House Canada)
Her Body Among Animals – Paola Ferrante (Toronto, Ontario), Book*hug Press
Naniki – Oonya Kempadoo (Montréal, Quebec), Dundurn Press

Poetry
The Work – Bren Simmers (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island), Gaspereau Press
Precendented Parroting – Barbara Tran (Toronto, Ontario), Palimpsest Press
The All + Flesh – Brandi Bird (Burnaby, British Columbia), House of Anansi Press
Sonnets from a Cell – Bradley Peters (Chilliwack, British Columbia), Brick Books
Scientific Marvel – Chimwemwe Undi (Winnipeg, Manitoba), House of Anansi Press

Drama
I Forgive You – Scott Jones, Robert Chafe (Scotsburn, Nova-Scotia / St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador), Playwrights Canada Press
New – Pamela Mala Sinha (Toronto, Ontario), Playwrights Canada Press
The Green Line – Makram Ayache (Toronto, Ontario), Playwrights Canada Press
Shorelines – Mishka Lavigne (Gatineau, Quebec), Playwrights Canada Press
There Is Violence and There Is Righteous Violence and There Is Death, or the Born-Again Crow – Caleigh Crow (Calgary, Alberta), Playwrights Canada Press

Non-fiction
Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir – Danny Ramadan (Vancouver, British Columbia), Viking Canada (Penguin Random House)
Becoming a Matriarch – Helen Knott (Fort St. John, British Columbia), Knopf Canada (Penguin Random House)
The Walls Have Eyes – Petra Molnar (New York City, United States), The New Press
The Age of Insecurity – Astra Taylor (Saugerties, United States), House of Anansi Press
Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre – Niigaan Sinclair (Winnipeg, Manitoba), McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House Canada)

Young People’s Literature – Text
Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams – Shari Green (Campbell River, British Columbia), Andrews McMeel Publishing
A Crane Among Wolves – June Hur (Scarborough, Ontario), Feiwel and Friends (MacMillan Publishers)
Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix – Cherie Dimaline (Midland, Ontario), Feiwel and Friends (MacMillan Publishers)
Crash Landing – Li Charmaine Anne (New Westminster, British Columbia), Annick Press
Mortified – Kristy Jackson (Corman Park, Saskatchewan), Harper Collins Canada

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf – Danielle Daniel, Matt James (Little Current, Ontario / Toronto, Ontario), Tundra Books (Penguin Random House Canada)
The Gulf – Adam de Souza (Vancouver, British Columbia), Tundra Books (Penguin Random House Canada)
Do You Remember? – Sydney Smith (Halifax, Nova Scotia), Groundwood Books
Skating Wild on an Inland Sea – Jean E. Pendziwol, Todd Stewart (Thunder Bay, Ontario / Montréal, Quebec), Groundwood Books
One Giant Leap – Thao Lam (Toronto, Ontario), Owlkids Books

Translation (from French to English)
So Long Sad Love – Aleshia Jensen (Montréal, Quebec), Drawn and Quarterly; translation of Adieu triste amour, by Mirion Malle
The Hollow Beast – Lazer Lederhendler (Montréal, Quebec), Biblioasis; translation of La bête creuse, by Christophe Bernard
Sadie X – Aimee Wall (Montréal, Quebec), Book*hug Press; translation of Sadie X, by Clara Dupuis-Morency
Morel – Melissa Bull (Montréal, Quebec), Baraka Books; translation of Morel, by Maxime Raymond Bock
Nights Too Short to Dance – Katia Grubisic (Montréal, Quebec), Second Story Press; translation of Un cœur habité de mille voix, by Marie-Claire Blais

French-language finalists for 2024 (seven categories)
Fiction
Lait cru – Steve Poutré (Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, Quebec), Éditions Alto
De grandes personnes – Mathieu Rolland (Montréal, Quebec), Les Éditions du Boréal
La version qui n’intéresse personne – Emmanuelle Pierrot (Montréal, Quebec), Le Quartanier
Le compte est bon – Louis-Daniel Godin (Montréal, Quebec), La Peuplade
Muette – Pascale Beauregard (Montréal, Quebec), Les Éditions du Boréal

Poetry
Soleil sans heures – Olyvier Leroux-Picard (Cookshire-Eaton, Quebec), Poètes de brousse
poème dégénéré – névé dumas (La Pêche, Quebec), L’Oie de Cravan
Les couteaux dans ma gorge ne sont pas des fruits de mer – Annie Landreville (Rimouski, Quebec), Poètes de brousse
L’air fou – Jonas Fortier (Montréal, Quebec), L’Oie de Cravan
Lettres au ciel blanc – Emmanuel Simard (Lac-Mégantic, Quebec), Poètes de brousse

Drama
Ciseaux – Geneviève Labelle, Mélodie Noël Rousseau (Montréal, Quebec (both)), Éditions du remue-ménage
La dernière cassette: Un portrait d’André Brassard – Olivier Choinière (Montréal, Quebec), Atelier 10
Wollstonecraft – Sarah Berthiaume (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions de Ta Mère
Ornithorynques – Johanne Parent (Bathhurst, New Brunswick), Éditions Perce-Neige
Rose – Isabelle Hubert (Québec City, Quebec), L’instant même

Non-fiction
Hors jeu: Chronique culturelle et féministe sur l’industrie du sport professionnel – Florence-Agathe Dubé-Moreau (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions du remue-ménage
Noir satin – Stanley Péan (Montréal, Quebec), Les Éditions du Boréal
Oser l’humour éthique: De Socrate à Virginie Fortin – Jérôme Cotte (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions Somme toute
Porter plainte – Léa Clermont-Dion (Saint-Lambert, Quebec), Le Cheval d’août
Une abeille suffit: Carnet d’observation d’un jardin urbain – Geneviève Boudreau (Québec City, Quebec), Éditions du Noroît

Young People’s Literature – Text
Carreauté Kid – Marc-André Dufour-Labbé (Montréal, Quebec), Leméac Éditeur
Déménager au ciel – Jean-Guy Forget, Mélodie Bujold-Henri (Montréal, Quebec (both)), la courte échelle
Une bulle en dehors du temps – Stéfani Meunier (Montréal, Quebec), Leméac Éditeur
Envole-toi, Mikun – Moira-Uashteskun Bacon (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions Hannenorak
Les quatre vérités – Dominique Chicoine (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec), Les Éditions du Boréal

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
Histoires fantastiques (et peut-être vraies) – Caroline Merola (Montréal, Quebec), la courte échelle
Jour d’orage – Marianne Ferrer (Montréal, Quebec), Monsieur Ed
Le fil d’Alphée – Marie-Andrée Arsenault, Dominique Leroux (Montréal, Quebec / Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec), Les éditions la Morue verte
Le premier arbre de Noël – Ovila Fontaine, Charlotte Parent (Maliotenam, Quebec / Bécancour, Quebec), Éditions de la Pastèque
Margot veut une moustache – Iris Boudreau, Richard Écrapou (Montréal, Quebec (both)), Les Éditions de la Bagnole

Translation (from English to French)
Ristigouche: Le long cours de la rivière sauvage – Éric Fontaine (Montréal, Quebec), Les Éditions du Boréal; translation of Restigouche: The Long Run of the Wild River, by Philip Lee
Charlie Muskrat – Daniel Grenier (Québec City, Quebec), Éditions Hannenorak; translation of Charlie Muskrat, by Harold Johnson
Cours vers le danger – Madeleine Stratford (Ottawa, Ontario), Les Éditions du Boréal; translation of Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory, by Sarah Polley
La messagère – Sophie Voillot (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions Alto; translation of The Book of Rain, by Thomas Wharton
Mourir pour la cause : révolution dans le Québec des années 1960 – Alexandre Fontaine Rousseau (Montréal, Quebec), Éditions Pow Pow; translation of Are You Willing to Die for the Cause? Revolution in 1960s Quebec, by Chris Oliveros

Makeup of the 2024 English-language peer assessment committees
Fiction: Chris Eaton, Francesca Ekwuyasi and Jen Ferguson

Poetry: Kathryn Mockler, Heather Nolan and Tolu Oloruntoba

Drama: Kevin Kerr, Marcia Johnson and Kamila Sediego

Non-fiction: Jordan Abel, Robyn Maynard and Mary Soderstrom

Young People’s Literature – Text: Sarah Everett, Louisa Onomé and Ken Setterington

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books: Kyrsten Brooker, Shauntay Grant and Kevin Sylvester

Translation (from French to English): Peter Feldstein, Jessica Moore and Anne-Marie Wheeler

Makeup of the 2024 French-language peer assessment committees
Fiction: Michael Delisle, Andrée Michaud and Maya Ombasic

Poetry: Bathélemy Bolivar, Virginie Chaloux-Gendron and Daria Colonna

Drama: Madeleine Blais-Dahlem, Antoine Côté Legault and Anne-Marie Olivier

Non-fiction: Marie-Andrée Lamontagne, Pierrot Ross-Tremblay and Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny

Young People’s Literature – Text: Mario Brassard, Christine Sioui Wawanoloath and Élise Turcotte

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books: Clément de Gaulejac, Diane Obomsawin and Isabelle Picard

Translation (from English to French): Jeannot Clair, Danielle LeBlanc and Nésida Loyer

About the Canada Council for the Arts

The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to “foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.”

The Council’s grants, services, initiatives, prizes and payments contribute to the vibrancy of a creative and diverse arts and literary scene and support its presence across Canada and abroad. The Council’s investments foster greater engagement in the arts among audiences in Canada and internationally.

#FIRSTLOOK: 2023 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARDS (GGBOOKS) WINNERS

The Canada Council for the Arts is pleased to announce the 2023 winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks). These prestigious awards celebrate remarkable literary works published in Canada, in both official languages, across seven categories, and include books for readers of all ages.

“Each of the winning books in this year’s Governor General’s Literary Awards gives us, as readers, something new and unique to explore. The winners of the 2023 GGBooks are memorable and distinct in how they connect us to the current moment. They are being celebrated and are worth discovering for what has been captured on the page, and because they will go on to influence literature and generations of readers to come.”

— Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts

The 14 winning books were chosen by the same 14 peer assessment committees that were convened to select the 35 English and 35 French finalists announced several weeks ago. Respectively, this year’s peer assessment committees followed a rigorous process in their deliberation and selection of the winners from among the range of nominated books published in Canada in 2022–23.

About the GGBooks

Founded in 1936, the Governor General’s Literary Awards are some of the oldest and most prestigious prizes in Canada, with a total annual prize value of $450,000.

The Canada Council for the Arts has funded, administered and promoted these awards since 1959.
Finalists are selected by category-specific, language-based peer assessment committees (seven in English and seven in French), who consider eligible books published between August 1 and July 31.

Each writer, translator or illustrator whose book is selected as the winner in its category receives a $25,000 prize. Publishers receive $3,000 to promote the winning book; finalists receive $1,000 each.
English-language winners for 2023 (seven categories)

Fiction
Chrysalis – Anuja Varghese (Hamilton, Ontario) House of Anansi Press
Poetry
Xanax Cowboy – Hannah Green (Winnipeg, Manitoba) House of Anansi Press
Drama
William Shakespeareʼs As You Like It: A Radical Retelling – Cliff Cardinal (Toronto, Ontario) Playwrights Canada Press

Non-fiction
Unearthing – Kyo Maclear (Toronto, Ontario) Knopf, Penguin Random House Canada
Young People’s Literature – Text
The Probability of Everything – Sarah Everett (Edmonton, Alberta) Clarion Books, HarperCollins
Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
When You Can Swim – Jack Wong (Halifax, Nova Scotia) Scholastic Canada
Translation (from French to English)
Rosaʼs Very Own Personal Revolution – Peter McCambridge (Québec City, Quebec) QC Fiction, Baraka Books. A translation of La logeuse, by Éric Dupont.

French-language winners for 2023 (seven categories)

Fiction
Galumpf – Marie Hélène Poitras (Montréal, Quebec) Éditions Alto
Poetry
Atikᵁ utei. Le cœur du caribou – Rita Mestokosho (Ekuanitshit, Quebec) Mémoire dʼencrier
Drama
Gros gars – Mathieu Gosselin (Montréal, Quebec) Éditions Somme toute
Non-fiction
Faux rebelles : Les dérives du politiquement incorrect – Philippe Bernier Arcand (Ottawa, Ontario) Éditions Poètes de brousse
Young People’s Literature – Text
Linoubliable – Lou Beauchesne (Montréal, Quebec) la courte échelle
Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
Le plus petit sauveur du monde – Samuel Larochelle and Eve Patenaude (Montréal, Quebec – les deux) Éditions XYZ
Translation (from English to French)
Dans lʼombre du soleil: Réflexions sur la race et les récits – Catherine Ego (Montréal, Quebec) Les Éditions du Boréal. A translation of Out of the Sun: On Race and Storytelling, by Esi Edugyan.

Makeup of the 2023 English-language peer assessment committees
Fiction: Carleigh Baker, Neil Bissoondath and Jessica Westhead

Poetry: Mary Dalton, Moez Surani and Gillian Sze

Drama: Aaron Bushkowsky, Tai Amy Grauman and Julie Tamiko Manning

Non-fiction: KatłĮà Lafferty, Lorri Neilsen Glenn and Rinaldo Walcott

Young People’s Literature – Text: Cheryl Foggo, June Hur and Tom Ryan

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books: Marianne Ferrer, Lee Edward Födi and Mahak Jain

Translation (from French to English): Bilal Hashmi, Melissa Bull and Pablo Strauss

Makeup of the 2023 French-language peer assessment committees
Fiction: Edem Awumey, Danielle Dussault and Tassia Trifiatis-Tezgel

Poetry: Mimi Haddam, Gabriel Osson and Judy Quinn

Drama: Katrine Deniset, Isabelle Hubert and Gabriel Léger-Savard

Non-fiction: Karim Akouche, Martine Jacquot and Julie Kurtness

Young People’s Literature – Text: Cheyda Haramein, Jean-François Sénéchal and Danièle Simpson

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books: Julien Chung and Andrée Lévesque-Sioui

Translation (from English to French): Rose Després, Benoit Laflamme and Marie-Thé Morin

About the Canada Council for the Arts

The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to “foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.” The Council’s grants, services, initiatives, prizes and payments contribute to the vibrancy of a creative and diverse arts and literary scene and support its presence across Canada and abroad. The Council’s investments foster greater engagement in the arts among audiences in Canada and internationally.