News Releases - 2010
Governor General’s Literary Awards finalists announced
Toronto, October 13, 2010 – The Canada Council for the Arts today announced the names of the 70 finalists for the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Awards. Half of them are finalists for the first time, and they include authors, illustrators and translators from ages 25 to 74.
The English and French awards are in the categories of fiction, non‑fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation. A total of 1,702 eligible books were submitted for this year’s awards, an increase of 161 books over last year. At least nine of the finalists are under the age of 35 and six of the finalists are Aboriginal or from culturally diverse backgrounds. The books feature many themes, including our love affair with the land and concern for the environment, our roots, life journeys, and the psychological issues that challenge us.
The names of the finalists and the book titles are listed below with the peer assessment committees’ citations for each work. The names of the members of the 14 committees (seven English and seven French) are listed at the end of this release.
Beginning Thursday, October 14, join a discussion of the finalist books on the Canada Council’s Facebook page.
Download images of the shortlisted books.
Find additional information about the 2010 Awards.
Governor General’s Literary Awards
The Canada Council for the Arts provides almost $450,000 for the Governor General’s Literary Awards. Each winner will receive $25,000 and a specially-bound copy of the winning book. The publisher of each winning book will receive $3,000 to support promotional activities.
Non-winning finalists will each receive $1,000 in recognition of their selection as finalists.
English-language finalists
Fiction
Sandra Birdsell, Regina, Waiting for Joe
(Random House Canada; distributed by Random House of Canada)
Waiting for Joe charts a contemporary odyssey of loss and dispossession. Caring for an elderly parent while they slowly lose their tangible assets, Joe and Laurie confront both economic and emotional bankruptcy. The discoveries they make as their lives disintegrate effect a poignant and intense depiction of class and consumerism.
Emma Donoghue, London (Ontario), Room
(HarperCollins Publishers; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
Room is a terrifying novel about the nature of prisons and the innocence of inmates. Held captive in a secret room, a mother and son dream of escaping, only to discover that the larger world is merely a larger prison. A clear-eyed evocation of a child’s perspective, this novel is both macabre and redemptive.
Drew Hayden Taylor, Curve Lake (Ontario),
Motorcycles & Sweetgrass
(Alfred A. Knopf Canada; distributed by Random House of Canada)
The arrival of a tall dark stranger on a vintage Indian motorcycle introduces a host of compelling characters who bring us into intimate contact with life on an Ojibway reserve. The havoc he wreaks transforms the community’s tragedy and pain into an extraordinary tale that is luminous, magical and utterly hilarious.
Dianne Warren, Regina, Cool Water
(Phyllis Bruce Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
Cool Water is the story of a small town and its ordinary citizens. Nothing much happens in Juliet, Saskatchewan. But Dianne Warren’s characters struggle to maintain their dignity against powerful odds. This is powerful writing ̶ gut-wrenching and inspiring. Its drama is quiet, but in the end you hardly know what hit you.
Kathleen Winter, Montreal, Annabel
(House of Anansi Press; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
Annabel is the story of Wayne Blake, born a hermaphrodite in late 1960s Labrador. Shame silences his parents, and Wayne falls victim to their hopeless confusion. They realize too late that he is normal, but for a conflicted identity that never lets him rest. Affecting and memorable.
Poetry
Richard Greene, Cobourg (Ontario), Boxing the Compass
(Signal Editions, an imprint of Véhicule Press; distributed by LitDistCo)
Boxing the Compass includes the long, remarkable narrative poem
Over the Border, a poem of chance meetings on American buses and trains. Richard Greene’s writing is restrained in the best sense, striking no indulgent or false notes. One has the impression of a nation in deep trouble as witnessed by a traveler of sympathy and concern.
Michael Harris, Westmount (Quebec), Circus
(Signal Editions, an imprint of Véhicule Press; distributed by LitDistCo)
Circus speaks to the knife-edge of anarchy that underlies the civilization we are asked to accept. Michael Harris tells us that life often disappoints; that sometimes the ridiculous is sublime and sometimes it is just ridiculous. He reveals the unpredictability and mess behind the glitz, glamour and grease-paint of life.
Daryl Hine, Chicago [originally from New Westminster,
British Columbia], &: A Serial Poem
(Fitzhenry & Whiteside; distributed by the publisher)
Daryl Hine’s is a cultured voice. It avoids stuffiness, egoism and shallow ironies. At the centre of this hailstorm of rhyme is a calm – one made of seeming trifles, yet with thinking that is profound. It is a reflection on civilization as a whole, and is the summing up of a life in particular weighed against eternity.
Sandy Pool, Calgary, Exploding into Night
(Guernica Editions; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
An entrancingly erotic narrative poem, lush with image and hard to put down, Sandy Pool’s Exploding into Night takes big risks in form, subject and voice – and succeeds. The reader is seduced by language into a relationship with material that is both dangerous and uncomfortable, paralleling the protagonist’s own seduction.
Melanie Siebert, Victoria, Deepwater Vee
(McClelland & Stewart; distributed by Random House of Canada)
Melanie Siebert’s Deepwater Vee is a love affair with language. It uses words in new ways, though we are never lost. It is a powerful example of poetry of place that takes us down Canada’s northern rivers, onto streets with homeless buskers and back in time to the ill-fated journey of Scottish explorer Sir Alexander Mackenzie.
Drama
Robert Chafe, St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador), Afterimage
(Playwrights Canada Press; distributed by the publisher)
Set in Newfoundland, Afterimage is a gripping, literally electrifying play that addresses “otherness” in a highly original way. The play tackles the universal theme of connection through complex, strange characters who we immediately care about and whose stories are profoundly moving.
Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, Toronto, Scratch
(Playwrights Canada Press; distributed by the publisher)
Scratch is a funny, moving and provocative story of a teenage girl dealing with lust, lice and death. As her world crashes down around her, Anna tries desperately not to scratch too deeply beneath the surface of her crumbling life. Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman brings a fresh new voice to Canadian theatre with writing that is brave, bold and highly theatrical.
Michael Healey, Toronto, Courageous
(Playwrights Canada Press; distributed by the publisher)
In Courageous, Michael Healey’s characters grapple with hot button issues of Canadian society – the rights and freedoms associated with immigration, sexuality and religion. Unconventional in structure and risky in subject matter, Courageous is a hilarious comedy that rides on a keel of serious social argument.
Judith Thompson, Toronto, Such Creatures
(Playwrights Canada Press; distributed by the publisher)
In Such Creatures, a Holocaust survivor returns to the concentration camp where as an adolescent she participated in an uprising. In Toronto’s inner city, a teenager prepares for the rite of passage of her first fist fight, while searching for her First Nations roots. Both girls are inspired by Shakespeare. A brilliant meditation on cruelty.
David Yee, Toronto, lady in the red dress
(Playwrights Canada Press; distributed by the publisher)
Lady in the red dress is a magic realist, noir comedy about how the unhealed wounds of historical wrongs live on in the present. At the centre of the story is Canada’s oppression of the Chinese community through the Head Tax and Exclusion Act. Using a theatrically-daring attack, David Yee cross-examines the notions of redress and reconciliation.
Non-fiction
Elizabeth Abbott, Toronto, A History of Marriage
(Penguin Group (Canada); distributed by the publisher)
Elizabeth Abbott’s A History of Marriage is by far the most comprehensive book written on the subject. The research that has gone into this book is tremendous in scope. The writer throws light on the evolution of the institution in straightforward language that will appeal to readers of all levels.
Ian Brown, Toronto, The Boy in the Moon:
A Father’s Search for His Disabled Son
(Random House Canada; distributed by Random House of Canada)
Ian Brown’s The Boy in the Moon is a brave, candid, touching examination of the impact that a medically‑challenged boy can have on his family. The author reaches deep into his sadness, anger and pain to show how a caring father tries to understand a son with special needs.
Allan Casey, Saskatoon, Lakeland: Journeys into the Soul of Canada
(Greystone Books, an imprint of D&M Publishers; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
In Lakeland, Allan Casey, an accomplished, witty prose stylist, embarks on a voyage of discovery across Canada to develop a sense of how we shape our environment and how our environment shapes us. In the process, he adds a fresh and compelling perspective to the ongoing national dialogue about who we are as Canadians and as stewards of nature.
Karen Connelly, Toronto, Burmese Lessons: A Love Story
(Random House Canada; distributed by Random House of Canada)
Karen Connelly’s Burmese Lessons: A Love Story combines the personal and lyrical dimensions of her journeys in Southeast Asia with the adventure of her encounters with danger. In doing so, the author has created a powerful internal testimony to an utterly perilous experience and personal dilemma, with individual as well as historical repercussions.
John English, Toronto, Just Watch Me:
The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968-2000
(Alfred A. Knopf Canada; distributed by Random House of Canada)
With impeccable research and flawless prose, John English captures the essence of Trudeau, the man and the politician who – ten years after his death – still fascinates and intrigues Canadians.
Just Watch Me courageously takes on the myths and tells the rounded story of the man who led Canada through exciting, often turbulent years.
Children’s Literature — Text
K.L. Denman, Powell River (British Columbia), Me, Myself and Ike
(Orca Book Publishers; distributed by the publisher)
Me, Myself and Ike is a gripping novel full of surprises. K.L. Denman’s masterfully-crafted first-person narrative on schizophrenia sweeps the reader along as Kit Latimer descends into a terrifying world where the real and imagined have no discernible divide. Denman manages to portray Kit in a way that is both realistic and sympathetic.
Lesley Fairfield, Toronto, Tyranny
(Tundra Books; distributed by Random House of Canada)
Tyranny is a powerful piece of writing crafted as a graphic novel.
Lesley Fairfield convincingly delves deep into the psyche of a young woman suffering from anorexia. The strength of the book lies in its simplicity, which carries the reader along on Anna’s horrifying journey to wellness.
Gina McMurchy-Barber, Surrey (British Columbia), Free as a Bird
(Dundurn Press; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
Free as a Bird is a poignant journey through the life of
Ruby Jean Sharp, a child living with Down syndrome. In this compelling tale of perseverance, trust and hope, Gina McMurchy-Barber takes the reader from the isolation and abuse of an institution, to the warmth and opportunity of a home, to the danger and camaraderie of the streets.
Wendy Phillips, Richmond (British Columbia), Fishtailing
(Coteau Books; distributed by Publishers Group of Canada)
Fishtailing is the story of four teenagers, four lives intertwined in the complex world of relationships and power struggles. In passionate poetic language that both chills and caresses, Wendy Phillips breathes life into these unforgettable characters whose stories offer insight, warning and endless possibilities. This compellingly-crafted poem is impossible to put down.
Cheryl Rainfield, Toronto, Scars
(WestSide Books; distributed by Chapters / Indigo)
Cheryl Rainfield’s Scars asks: When hurt is deeply buried, how do you bring it to the surface? For Kendra, the possibilities lie between
self-destruction and the redemptive powers of creativity. Teetering between these polarities until the very end, she is a memorable character whose struggle captivates.
Children’s Literature — Illustration
Kristi Bridgeman, Victoria, Uirapurú: based on a Brazilian legend,
text by P. K. Page
(Oolichan Books; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
Kristi Bridgeman’s evocative illustrations draw us into the exotic rainforest of Brazil. Her lively and rhythmic design playfully combines vibrant colours and patterns that reference Brazilian textiles and ancient Mayan imagery. On the pages of Uirapurú, the illustrator’s rainforest magically comes to life.
Julie Flett, Vancouver, Owls See Clearly at Night: a Michif alphabet / Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: l’alfabet di Michif, text by Julie Flett
(Simply Read Books; distributed by Publishers Group Canada)
In Owls See Clearly at Night, Julie Flett’s beautiful and elegant illustrations eloquently describe the Michif alphabet. Each letter’s vignette is thought-provoking, depicting elements of the natural world in an illumination of meaning. The letters appear deceptively simple at first glance, but in fact each contains its own mysterious, lyrical story.
Matt James, Toronto, I Know Here, text by Laurel Croza
(Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
The “howl of the wolf and the smell of the fox in his cage and the stare of the old moose…” are boldly captured in Matt James’ intense illustrations. I Know Here speaks a universal, yet markedly original artistic language about a child’s sense of place.
Jon Klassen, Los Angeles [originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario], Cat’s Night Out, text by Caroline Stutson
(Simon & Schuster / A Paula Wiseman Book; distributed by
Simon & Schuster Canada)
In Cat’s Night Out, Jon Klassen creatively arranges pulsating patterns, lines and shapes to express a fantasy mood. He uses different tones and textures to contrast the mysterious night scene with the many vivid dancing cats. The illustrations match the content perfectly.
Renata Liwska, Calgary, The Quiet Book, text by Deborah Underwood
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; distributed by Thomas Allen & Son)
Renata Liwska’s method of using soft edge drawing to portray lovely and simple images is perfect to express the story of The Quiet Book. Each composition is creative and each page draws the viewer into a fresh mood. The illustrations are elegant with a sweet gentle tone.
Translation – French to English
Sheila Fischman, Montreal, The Blue Notebook
(Talonbooks; distributed by Publishers Group Canada)
English translation of Le cahier bleu by Michel Tremblay
(Leméac Éditeur / Actes Sud)
Sheila Fischman’s highly-accomplished translation captures
Michel Tremblay’s lovelorn Céline and Montreal’s “The Main” during the 1960s with a clarity that resonates with the era. Fischman is a first‑class artist whose mastery of language is completely in tune with Tremblay’s rhythm and sensual nostalgia.
Sheila Fischman, Montreal, On the Proper Use of Stars
(McClelland & Stewart; distributed by Random House)
English translation of Du bon usage des étoiles by Dominique Fortier (Éditions Alto)
Sheila Fischman’s elegant translation of Dominique Fortier’s novel about Franklin’s ill-fated expedition to the Northwest Passage brilliantly captures its Victorian tenor, scientific terminology and juxtaposed stories of the men on the fraught voyage and the women who wait for their return.
Linda Gaboriau, Montreal, Forests
(Playwrights Canada Press; distributed by the publisher)
English translation of Forêts by Wajdi Mouawad
(Leméac Éditeur / Actes Sud)
Linda Gaboriau’s ingenious and inventive translation eloquently carries over all the texture and emotional impact of Wajdi Mouawad’s lyrical play, bringing the work to life in English. A highly-accomplished work by a literary translator at the height of her talent.
Liedewy Hawke, Toronto, High-Wire Summer
(Cormorant Books; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
English translation of L’été funambule by Louise Dupré (XYZ éditeur)
Liedewy Hawke’s graceful translation adroitly and sensitively recreates the rhythm and poetry of Louise Dupré’s writing, and the delicate and astute observations of her reflective vignettes.
Lazer Lederhendler, Montreal, The Breakwater House
(House of Anansi Press; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
English translation of La maison des temps rompus by
Pascale Quiviger (Les Éditions du Boréal)
Lazer Lederhendler demonstrates his mastery of the language, skillfully capturing the haunting atmosphere of the original prose of
Pascale Quiviger’s ethereal novel. He has created a moving and powerful experience in English.
French-language finalists
Fiction
Marie-Claire Blais, Key West (Florida) [originally from Quebec City], Mai au bal des prédateurs
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
In keeping with our times and the tendency toward many voices, the fragmented style of Marie‑Claire Blais’s Mai au bal des prédateurs intermingles the lives of a cast of characters, creating a vibrant portrait of contemporary society. Through the stories of Yinn the transsexual and Mai the overprotected daughter, this compassionate book draws us into the turbulent whirl of life.
Martine Desjardins, Town of Mount Royal (Quebec), Maleficium
(Éditions Alto; distributed by Socadis)
This gem of a book is built around a narrative structure that leaves nothing to chance, and is served by wonderfully rich language. The world that Martine Desjardins presents with such admirable skill in Maleficium is inhabited by fear and desire, and its reality has unsuspected depths. With its surprises, exotic voyages and shimmering descriptions, this book is a pure pleasure to read.
Agnès Gruda, Montreal, Onze petites trahisons
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
Agnès Gruda’s Onze petites trahisons is a true collection of stories: structured, unified, intelligent and sensitive, equally adept at presenting small personal dramas and vast international tragedies. Its flawlessly embodied characters are set in the heart of human situations where we all recognize ourselves – our best intentions and our worst failures.
Dany Laferrière, Montreal, L’énigme du retour
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
An autobiography that begins with the death of an unknown father, L’énigme du retour is also an intergenerational depiction of a nation still grieving its past. Dany Laferrière’s tone is impeccable in this portrait of an author looking at his native Haiti, torn between misery and opulence, light and darkness, beauty and squalor.
Kim Thúy, Longueuil (Quebec), Ru
(Éditions Libre Expression, Groupe Librex; distributed by Messageries ADP)
Caught between East and West, past and present, the heroine of
Kim Thúy’s Ru draws us into the wake of the boat people whose destiny mirrors the turbulent history of decolonized Vietnam. A scintillating, crystal‑clear portrait of an exile whose life is bound by a thread to the ocean of the living.
Poetry
Francis Catalano, Montreal, qu’une lueur des lieux
(L’Hexagone; distributed by Messageries ADP)
In qu’une lueur des lieux, the words are little explosions of dazzlingly reinvented language. Francis Catalano sweeps us into a swirl of
lapsus linguae and lapsus oculi that “lifts the veil on a corner of the subconscious.” We embark on a jubilant exploration of the mythical places of America, fuelled by a thousand traffic lights.
Marie-Josée Charest, Maria (Quebec), Rien que la guerre, c’est tout
(Les Herbes rouges; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
Sparingly and with the dignity of direct and simple words, showing neither indulgence nor pity, Marie‑Josée Charest’s
Rien que la guerre, c’est tout brings us into the reality of war, too often made trivial or commonplace. We welcome with relief the author’s restraint in addressing her subject, the sensitivity and perceptiveness of her language and the discretion of her gaze.
Carole David, Montreal,
Manuel de poétique à l’intention des jeunes filles
(Les Herbes rouges; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
Like a tragedian, Carole David gives voice to all of the women who inhabit her, creators who have inspired the world.
Manuel de poétique à l’intention des jeunes filles recalls the fragility and quiet strength of these beings so necessary to humanity. Here, heightened reality rises above the ordinary to achieve the grace of sirens singing.
Danielle Fournier, Montreal, effleurés de lumière
(L’Hexagone; distributed by Messageries ADP)
The audacious, multilayered narrative of effleurés de lumière draws us into a labyrinth of transparency, where we are not sure who is whispering to us: the Greek chorus or the two women’s voices. Here, the body is revealed in the light of day. Danielle Fournier’s writing develops with grace and intelligence within the structure of the collection.
Pierre Nepveu, Montreal, Les verbes majeurs
(Éditions du Noroît; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
In precise language, with a flawless rhythm that flows like a river,
Pierre Nepveu’s Les verbes majeurs tenderly traces the destiny of ordinary lives. When the seasons conspire to make us vulnerable, we marvel at a journey’s end, where the major verb is none other than “to be.”
Drama
Geneviève Billette, Montreal, Les ours dorment enfin
(Lansman Éditeur; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
In Les ours dorment enfin, Geneviève Billette looks at the unlikely relationship between a child carried by the wind into the life of a zookeeper damaged by his past. A tough and tender play, clear-sighted and poetic, in which zookeepers, bears and children are all in search of happiness.
Evelyne de la Chenelière, Montreal, L’imposture
(Leméac Éditeur; distributed by Socadis)
Who is the real owner of an author’s work? The people and events that inspired the work, or the author who assumed the right to delve into the lives of others? In L’imposture, Evelyne de la Chenelière puts writers on trial and takes a sharp look at the times we live in.
Emma Haché, Montreal, Trafiquée
(Lansman Éditeur; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
Emma Haché’s Trafiquée is a powerful and courageous celebration of the survival of a sexually-exploited woman. Its disturbing and unforgettable images plunge us into the heart of the action and keep us on the edge of our seats. A shattering descent into a hellish universe.
David Paquet, Montreal, Porc-épic
(Dramaturges Éditeurs; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
In hope of breaking out of their loneliness, the characters of
David Paquet’s Porc-épic try to get close to each other. Seeking a last chance at salvation, they drift from illusion to illusion, disappointment to disappointment. A tragedy that unfurls in a surreal, poetic environment, touched with dark humour.
Gilles Poulin-Denis, Montreal, Rearview
(Dramaturges Éditeurs; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
Guy is somewhere between Quebec and Northern Ontario, on the road and on the run. But what is he running from? A petty crime? Ghosts? His own life? Gilles Poulin-Denis’s “road-play,” Rearview, is a fascinating and lyrical journey between the wanderings that draw us in despite ourselves and the points of reference that we so desperately hang onto.
Non-fiction
René-Daniel Dubois, Montreal,
Morceaux : entretiens sur l’écho du monde, l’imaginaire et l’écriture
(Juillet 2005- janvier 2006)
(Leméac Éditeur; distributed by Socadis)
This literary essay, in which the author converses with an imaginary double, takes us on a fascinating and humorous backstage tour of the creative world. René-Daniel Dubois invites us into his free-thinking universe, with incursions into his life in the theatre, his social and political concerns, and – perhaps above all – the mysteries of fiction.
Michel Lavoie, Saint-Raphaël (Quebec),
C’est ma seigneurie que je réclame :
la lutte des Hurons de Lorette pour la seigneurie de Sillery, 1650-1900
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
Michel Lavoie’s C’est ma seigneurie que je réclame explores the history of the seigneury of Sillery and the Huron’s struggle to win it back. Through the tale of the unequal battle waged by the Hurons against the British and the Government of Canada, the author shows us the potential impact of this historical event on the burning issue of Aboriginal land claims.
Marie Mc Andrew, Montreal, Les majorités fragiles et l’éducation :
Belgique, Catalogne, Irlande du Nord, Québec
(Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal; distributed by Socadis)
Marie Mc Andrew has undertaken an impressive and necessary study. She compares the education systems of four analogous societies: Belgium, Catalonia, Northern Ireland and Quebec.
Les majorités fragiles et l’éducation is a stimulating survey and a major contribution to public debate.
Pierre Ouellet, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Quebec),
Où suis-je ? Paroles des égarés
(VLB éditeur; distributed by Messageries ADP)
Pierre Ouellet’s examination of Quebec authors traces the common theme of loss of self and acknowledgement of the other. His glowing writing guides us through these authors’ ideas and use of language, and the places that inspire them.
Yvon Rivard, Montreal, Une idée simple
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
Art must work for the happiness of mankind. The idea is so simple that one has to wonder why so little thought has been given to the ethical and comforting impact of art, or to the respite from suffering that literature offers. Yvon Rivard follows up on Camus’s argument that “writing is good for us.”
Children’s Literature – Text
Michel Noël, Saint-Damien-de-Brandon, Quebec, Nishka
(Les Éditions Hurtubise; distributed by Distribution HMH)
In Nishka, Michel Noël tells the moving story of the fate of Ojipik, a young Anishnabe boy who goes to live in the French-Canadian community of Messines in the 1960s. All of the fundamental human values are assembled here: love, compassion, respect and dignity.
Patrice Robitaille, Montreal, Le chenil
(Les Éditions L’Interligne; distributed by Prologue)
Patrice Robitaille’s Le chenil is a tough and tender novel about an orphan with Down syndrome – a prisoner of maltreatment, just like the dogs in the kennel that he tends. Through the budding, hope-filled friendship between young Simon and German officer Walter Krüger, the author reminds us of the presence of a prisoner-of-war camp in Espanola, Ontario, in the 1940s.
Yves Steinmetz, Saint-Césaire (Quebec), La chamane de Bois-Rouge
(Éditions Pierre Tisseyre; distributed by Diffusion du livre Mirabel)
Adventure is the order of the day! White magic, black magic, Aboriginal myths, the harsh reality of colonization and the excitement of the gold rush paint the backdrop to this marvellously extravagant story about a family haunted from generation to generation by the evil heritage of a great‑great‑grandmother who was a witch.
Alain Ulysse Tremblay, Montreal, Le dernier été
(Soulières éditeur; distributed by Diffusion du livre Mirabel)
Isaac is old and sick and is going to die. During the summer vacation, his family joins him on his final journey. Over the course of the holidays there are boats that sail by, fantastical tales, and suspense, complicity and heartache. Alain Ulysse Tremblay’s Le dernier été is a hymn to the imagination and to the passing of memories from one generation to the next.
Élise Turcotte, Montreal, Rose : derrière le rideau de la folie
(Les éditions de la courte échelle; distributed by Diffusion du livre Mirabel)
In Rose : derrière le rideau de la folie, Élise Turcotte has created a fascinating work of many voices. It is a unique exploration of the sorrows and fears of a young girl – a dialogue on madness. The poetic and singular style is startling and disturbing, with words that cut like a knife and powerful images that float in counter-current. With each list she writes, Rose raises the curtain on madness.
Children’s Literature – Illustration
Josée Bisaillon, Montreal, Le funambule, text by
Marie-Danielle Croteau
(Les Éditions Les 400 coups; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
In Le funambule, Josée Bisaillon takes us on a poetic and original journey into the imagined childhood of Marc Chagall, born Moïshe Zakharovitch Chagalov. A universe of enchantment and dreams awaits us, buoyed by colourful and fanciful images, and we are instantly charmed by the visual narrative of this magical book. Did fairies really visit Moïshe at his birth? One could almost believe it!
Virginie Egger, Montreal,
Le journal secret de Lulu Papino – Mon premier amour,
text by Lucie Papineau
(Dominique et compagnie, a division of Éditions Héritage; distributed by Messageries ADP)
Le journal secret de Lulu Papino – Mon premier amour, by
Virginie Egger, is a hilarious book that might remind you of your own, or your children’s, first adventures in love. A lively style where the “prettiness” and “ugliness” of the comical characters make them extremely endearing.
Manon Gauthier, Montreal, Triste sort ou l’hurluberlu de Morneville,
text by Jean-Pierre Davidts
(Les Éditions Les 400 coups; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
With Triste sort ou l’hurluberlu de Morneville, Manon Gauthier offers us a tale told in shades of gray, yet filled with freshness. Her collages are expressive and intelligent, the pencil drawings fluid and dynamic. The gentle, endearing characters live in a soulless and industrialized world – will the town eccentric bring colour back into their lives?
Melinda Josie, Toronto, Le géranium, text by Mélanie Tellier
(Marchand de feuilles; distributed by Hachette/Socadis)
Through images imbued with nostalgia, Melinda Josie reinvents a familiar world and presents a succession of scenes that juxtapose the picturesque and fantasy. Le géranium is the charming and lyrical story of a man who, in seeking his fortune, finds love.
Daniel Sylvestre, Montreal, Rose : derrière le rideau de la folie,
text by Élise Turcotte
(Les Éditions de la courte échelle; distributed by Diffusion du livre Mirabel)
Rose : derrière le rideau de la folie, by Daniel Sylvestre, is a necessary book that is frank and sensitive in its take on a painful theme: adolescent psychosis. A book that seeks out the light, expressing the inexpressible through drawings, scribblings, lines and impressions, and does so in such an authentic way that it touches on the universal.
Translation – English to French
Geneviève Letarte, Montreal, and Alison L. Strayer, Paris (France) [originally from Canada], Rencontres fortuites
(Les Allusifs; distributed by Gallimard/Socadis)
French translation of A Fairly Good Time by Mavis Gallant (Random House of Canada)
Geneviève Letarte and Alison Strayer have painstakingly and adroitly recreated the intimate psychology of Mavis Gallant’s characters. The cultural context and the differences between nationalities are subtly rendered, and the overall result is a skilful reproduction of the author’s wonderful irony.
Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné, Montreal, Sale argent :
petit traité d’économie à l’intention des détracteurs du capitalisme
(Éditions Logiques, Groupe Librex; distributed by Messageries ADP)
French translation of Filthy Lucre:
Economics for People Who Hate Capitalism by Joseph Heath (HarperCollins Publishers)
It is not easy to translate a treatise on economics – even one that’s been written for neophytes. Lori Saint‑Martin and Paul Gagné succeed admirably, allowing the reader to enjoy the original’s lively, readable style. Their translation, full of flashes of inspiration, is simply excellent.
Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné, Montreal, Les Troutman volants
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
French translation of The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews (Alfred A. Knopf Canada, a division of Random House of Canada)
In this novel, Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné rise to the sizeable challenge of translating conversations. They’ve succeeded in making the language of the two adolescents distinct from that of their aunt without breaking the flow of the novel. The style, levels of language, tone and effect of the original text are all faithfully reproduced.
Claudine Vivier, Plaisance (Quebec), L’exode des loups
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
French translation of Wolf Rider by Sharon Stewart (Scholastic Canada)
Claudine Vivier renders the emotion of the original work and breathes life into an animal world rich with mystery. This warm translation draws us into a universe where the song of animals and the call of nature are filled with hope.
Sophie Voillot, Montreal, Le cafard
(Éditions Alto; distributed by Socadis)
French translation of Cockroach by Rawi Hage (House of Anansi Press)
Sophie Voillot has a deep understanding of the author’s intentions. In Le cafard, she recreates beautifully the dark, oppressive urban atmosphere of the characters’ daily lives. Her talent shines in both the lyrical passages and those tinged with dark humour.
The peer assessment committees
The finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Awards are chosen by peer assessment committees (seven English and seven French categories) appointed by the Canada Council. The committees, which meet separately, consider all eligible books published between September 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010 for English-language books and between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010 for French-language books. This year, 962 titles in the English-language categories and 740 titles in the French-language categories were submitted.
English-language committees
Fiction: Ian Colford (Halifax), Gerry Shikatani (Peterborough, Ont.), Aritha van Herk (Calgary)
Poetry: Kimmy Beach (Red Deer, Alta.), Kim Goldberg
(Nanaimo, B.C.), Norm Sibum (Montreal)
Drama: Carmen Aguirre (Vancouver), Vern Thiessen (Astoria, NY), David Young (Toronto)
Non-fiction: Reza Baraheni (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Joan Baxter (Tatamagouche, N.S.), Brian Brennan (Calgary)
Children’s Literature – Text: Cathy Beveridge (Calgary),
Christopher Paul Curtis (Windsor, Ont.), Carmelita McGrath
(St. John’s, N.L.)
Children’s Literature – Illustration: Joanne Fitzgerald
(Orangeville, Ont.), Zhong-Yang Huang (Regina), Shawn O’Hagan (Corner Brook, N.L.)
Translation: Kathy Mezei (Burnaby, B.C.), Howard Scott (Montreal), Bobby Theodore (Toronto)
French-language committees
Fiction: Ook Chung (Montreal), Esther Croft (Quebec City),
Vittorio Frigerio (Halifax)
Poetry: Violaine Forest (Montreal), J. Roger Léveillé (Winnipeg),
Hector Ruiz (Montreal)
Drama: Marcelo Arroyo (Montreal), Isabelle Hubert (Quebec City), Louise Naubert (Toronto)
Non-fiction: Catherine Mavrikakis (Montreal), Pascal Michelucci (Toronto), Mauricio Segura (Montreal
Children’s Literature – Text: Roger Des Roches (Montreal),
Myriame El Yamani (Montreal), Denise Paquette (Moncton)
Children’s Literature – Illustration: Jocelyne Doiron
(Bouctouche, N.B.), Gérard DuBois (Saint-Lambert, Que.),
Annouchka Gravel Galouchko (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.)
Translation: Pierre DesRuisseaux (Pointe-Calumet, Que.),
Arlette Francière (Ottawa), Louis Jolicoeur (Quebec City)
Upcoming Events
Winners announcement
The winners will be announced on Tuesday, November 16 at 10 a.m. at La Grande Bibliothèque de Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 475 Boulevard De Maisonneuve East, in Montreal.
Awards presentation at Rideau Hall
His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will present the 2010 Literary Awards on
Thursday, November 25, at 6 p.m. at Rideau Hall. Media representatives wishing to cover the awards presentation should contact Marie-Ève Létourneau at the Rideau Hall Press Office,
613-998-0287 or marie-eve.letourneau@gg.ca.
Interviews with finalists:
English-language: National:
Diane Hargrave, Diane Hargrave Public Relations
416-467-9954
dhprbks@interlog.com
In Montreal:
Christopher DiRaddo, Christopher DiRaddo Communications
Office: 514-842-5087
Cell: 514-806-5087
cd@christopherdiraddo.com
French-language:
Mireille Bertrand, Publicist
Office: 418-829-0543
Cell: 514-652-6085
mireillebertrand@sympatico.ca
Virginie Perron, Media assistant
Office: 450-592-7158
Cell: 450-530-0642
v.perron@videotron.qc.ca