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Canadian Council for the Arts Reveals Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalists

The finalists for the Governor General's Literary Awards spotlight books in both the English and French language, as well as translated works. / BY serina ahmad / October 13th, 2022


On Wednesday, the Canadian Council for the Arts announced 70 finalists for the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Awards, recognizing Canada’s best English-language and French-language books. 

The award, established in 1936 by Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir and the Canadian Author’s Association, is one of Canada’s oldest literary prizes. In 1959, the Canadian Council for the Arts began funding, administering, and promoting the awards. 

The finalists, meanwhile, are divided into seven categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, young people’s literature — text, young people’s literature — illustrated books, and translation. The 14 winners will be announced on Nov. 16. See below for the full list of finalists. 

 

English-Language Finalists 

 

Fiction

All the Quiet Places, by Brian Thomas Isaac  

Finding Edward, by Sheila Murray  

Probably Ruby, by Lisa Bird-Wilson  

Pure Colour, by Sheila Heti  

The Most Precious Substance on Earth, by Shashi Bhat  

 

Poetry

Dream of No One But Myself, by David Bradford  

H of H Playbook, by Anne Carson  

Horrible Dance, by Avery Lake  

Shadow Blight, by Annick MacAskill  

Shifting Baseline Syndrome, by Aaron Kreuter  

 

Drama

Everybody Just C@lm the F#ck Down, by Robert Chafe  

Inheritance: a pick-the-path experience, by Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn  

Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) and Antigone: 方, by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho)  

Lady Sunrise, by Marjorie Chan  

The Piano Teacher: A Healing Key, by Dorothy Dittrich  

 

Non-fiction

Aki-Wayn-Zih: A Person as Worthy as the Earth, by Eli Baxter  

All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler, by Rebecca Donner  

Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis, by Britt Wray  

Persephone’s Children: A Life in Fragments, by Rowan McCandless  

Rehearsals for Living, by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson 

 

Young People’s Literature – Text

A Boy Is Not a Ghost, by Edeet Ravel  

Sorry for Your Loss, by Joanne Levy  

Step, by Deborah Ellis  

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, by Jen Ferguson  

Urchin, by Kate Story  

 

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books

kā-āciwīkicik / The Move, by Doris George, Don K. Philpot and Alyssa Koski  

Mina, by Matthew Forsythe 

The Big Bath House, by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang  

The Sour Cherry Tree, by Naseem Hrab and Nahid Kazemi  

Time is a Flower, by Julie Morstad  

 

Translation (from French to English)

History of the Jews in Quebec, translated by Judith Weisz Woodsworth. A translation of Histoire des Juifs du Québec, by Pierre Anctil

Remnants, translated by Aleshia Jensen. A translation of Le drap blanc, by Céline Huyghebaert

They Called Us Savages: A Hereditary Chief’s Quest for Truth and Harmony, translated by Ben Vrignon. A translation of On nous appelait les Sauvages: souvenirs et espoirs d’un chef héréditaire algonquin, by Dominique Rankin and Marie-Josée Tardif

This Is How I Disappear, translated by Aleshia Jensen and Bronwyn Haslam. A translation of C’est comme ça que je disparais, by Mirion Malle

White Resin, translated by Susan Ouriou. A translation of Blanc Résine, by Audrée Wilhelmy

 

French-Language Finalists

 

Fiction

Jardin radio, by Charlotte Biron  

Les ombres blanches, by Dominique Fortier  

Mille secrets mille dangers, by Alain Farah  

Sans refuge, by Maryse Andraos  

Tableau final de l’amour, by Larry Tremblay  

 

Poetry

À mon retour, by Élise Turcotte 

Chambre minimum, by Frédéric Dumont  

Enfants du lichen, by Maya Cousineau Mollen  

Le programme double de la femme tuée, by Carole David  

Vivarium, by Anna Babi  

 

Drama

Disgrâce, by Nadia Girard Eddahia  

L’art de vivre, by Liliane Gougeon Moisan 

Le poids des fourmis, by David Paquet  

Les remugles ou La danse nuptiale est une langue morte, by Caroline Bélisle  

Seeker, by Marie-Claude Verdier  

 

Non-fiction

Armer la rage : Pour une littérature de combat, by Marie-Pier Lafontaine  

La source et le roseau, by Jean-François Beauchemin  

La Voie romaine, by Sylveline Bourion  

L’habitude des ruines : Le sacre de l’oubli et de la laideur au Québec, by Marie-Hélène Voyer  

Tu vois ce que je veux dire? Illustrations, métaphores et autres images qui parlent, by Clément de Gaulejac  

 

Young People’s Literature – Text

Cancer ascendant Autruche, by Julie Champagne  

Dessiner dans les marges et autres activités de fantôme, by Carolanne Foucher  

La pluie des autres, by Daphné B.  

Les Bulles, by Reynald Cantin  

Les carnets de novembre, by Marie-Hélène Jarry  

 

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books

La fin des poux?, by Orbie  

Trèfle , by Nadine Robert and Qin Leng 

Truffe, by Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault  

Seuls, by Paul Tom and Mélanie Baillairgé  

Un rhume de cheval, by Pierrette Dubé and Enzo

 

Translation (from English to French)

Dans la lugubre forêt nos corps seront suspendus, translated by Benoit Laflamme. A translation of Through the Sad Wood Our Corpses Will Hang, by Ava Farmehri

Le fruit de la puanteur, translated by Sylvie Bérard and Suzanne Grenier. A translation of Salt Fish Girl, by Larissa Lai

Le malenchantement de sainte Lucy, translated by Éric Fontaine. A translation of The Beguiling, by Zsuzsi Gartner

Les coups de dés, translated by Catherine Leroux. A translation of The Wagers, by Sean Michaels

Partie de chasse au petit gibier entre lâches au club de tir du coin, translated by Mélissa Verreault. A translation of Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club, by Megan Gail Coles

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