Literary awards and prizes

Canadian

Governor General’s Literary Awards

• Established 1937
• Longest running Canadian literary awards
• Launched by Canadian Authors’ Association
• Administered by CAA until 1971
• Began with nonmonetary prizes
• No entry fee
• First cash award
• $250 in 1951
• Canadian Council assumed responsibility in 1959
• Added prizes for works in French
• Current prize: $15,000
• Specially bound copy of winning work
• Reception and gala at Rideau Hall
• Reading sponsored by National Library
• Publisher receives $3,000 grant
• Categories: English & French
• Children’s literature
• Text and literature
• Drama
• Fiction
• Poetry
• Literary nonfiction
• Translation
• Eligibility
• First edition trade books
• Written, translated or illustrated by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Published in previous year
• September to September
• Short list: October
• Winners: November
• Not eligible: non fiction
• Textbooks, instruction guides
• Illustrated books (Coffee table books)
• How to books, guide books
• Cookbooks
• Major sponsor: Bank of Montreal
• Frequency: annual
• Judges: peer assessment committee
• writers
• Books nominated by publishers
• The Canada Council for the Arts – Governor General’s Literary Awards http://canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggla/default.htm

The Giller Prize

• Established: 1994
• By Jack Rabinvitch
• To honor his wife, Doris Giller
• Prize: $25,000
• Eligibility:
• Novels or short story collections published in English
• Shortlist: early October
• Winner: early November
• Publisher must spend “appropriate sum” on publicity for winner
• Frequency: annual
• Judges: peer committee
• Publisher must pay $1,250 for shortlist advertising
• Not called an entry fee
• The Giller Prize – http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/

Writer’s trust of Canada

• Founded in 1976
• By Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, David Young and Margaret Laurence
• “to nurture the growing community of Canadian writers”
• Run a variety of programs
• Margaret Laurence Memorial Lecture
• Fundraisers
• Great Literary Dinner Party
• George Woodcock Fund
• Supported 103 writers
• Donated $380,000
• Administers 11 awards
• Novels, poetry
• Biography, other non-fiction writers
• http://www.writerstrust.com

Poetry

• Gerald Lampton Memorial Award
• Best first book of poetry published by a Canadian
• Cash award of $1,000
• Pat Lowther Memorial Award
• Best book of poetry published by a Canadian woman
• Cash award of $1,000
• The League of Canadians – http://poets.ca/wordpress/

Manitoba

• Manitoba writing and publishing awards
• 14 awards
• More than $30,000 in prizes
• Open to
• Books published in Manitoba
• Books written by Manitobans but written elsewhere
• Frequency: annual
• Co-sponsored by Manitoba Writers’ Guild and Association of Manitoba Book Publishers
• McNally Robinson Book of the Year
• $5,000
• Manitoba Writing and Publishing Awards http://www.mbwriter.mb.ca/book-awards/

Ontario

• Trillium Award
• For writing excellence in English and French
• Established in 1987
• Extended in 1994 to include separate prize for francophone writers and publishers
• Extended in 2001 to include poetry
• Awards for
• Fiction, non-fiction, drama, children’s books and poetry
• Award for all but poetry
• $25,000 plus $2,500 to publisher
• Poetry: $10,000 plus $2,500 to publisher
• Organization of Book Publishers in Ontario http://www.obpo.ca/

 

Saskatchewan

• Saskatchewan Book Awards
• Established in 1993
• Founded by
• Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, Saskatchewan Publishers’ Group, Saskatchewan Library Awards
• 12 awards
• Book of the Year, First Book Award, Fiction Award
• Cash awards
• Eligible:
• Residents of Saskatchewan for the last 12 months or 4 out of last 5 years
• The Saskatchewan Book Awards http://www.bookawards.sk.ca/index.php

 

British

• Man Booker Prize
• Established in 1968
• One award
• Best novel of the year
• By a citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland
• Anyone writing in English
• Cash award of £5,000
• Frequency: annual
• Judges: critics, writers and academics
• Most recent Canadian winner
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel in 2002
• http://www.themanbookerprize.com/
• The Orange Prize
• Established in 1995
• Best full length novel written by a woman in English
• In response to all male Man Booker list in 1995
• Celebrate women’s critical views as well as their writing
• Cash award of £30,000 plus bronze figurine
• Frequency: annual
• Judges:
• Five women from the UK:
• Book trade, media/library trade/book publisher
• At least one novelist
• One academic
• High-achieving role model
• Orange Prize for fiction http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/

Canadian/International: Griffin Poetry Prize

• Established in 2000
• By Scott Griffin, chair, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson, David Young
• To serve and encourage excellence in poetry written in English anywhere else in the world
• Books published between January 1 and December 31 previous year
• Two annual prizes of $40,000 each
• One prize to living Canadian
• One to a poet from any other country including Canada
• Also publish a poetry anthology
• http://www.griffinpoetryprize.com/

International: Commonwealth Writers Prize

• Sponsored by Commonwealth Foundation
• Intergovernmental organization
• Established 1996
• Supports exchanges and training opportunities
• Funded by Commonwealth countries (54)
• Prize for best book
• Announced in April
• Frequency: annual
• http://www.commonwealthwriters.org/prizes/commonwealth-book-prize/2013-prize/

 

American: Pulitzer prize

• Established in 1904
• 21 awards
• Journalism, literature, music and drama
• “for distinguished fiction by an American author”
• Won by Carol Shields in 1995
• Preferably dealing with American life
• Cash award of $30,000
• Open to American citizens only