The Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Awards on Wednesday morning.
Five titles were selected in the Novels and Short Stories category: Galumpfby Marie Hélène Poitras (Viola); The gold of the larchesby Carole Labarre (Mémoire d’encrier); My son did not return for seven days, by David Clerson (Heliotrope); Dark is the night, by Brigitte Haentjens (Boréal); And A postcard from the oceanby Stéfani Meunier (Leméac).
In poetry, these are collections On open groundby Sebastián Ibarra Gutiérrez (Hammock); Atikᵁ utei. The heart of the caribouby Rita Mestokosho (Inkwell Memory); Joy exercisesby Louise Dupré (Le Noroît); The black factory, by Virginie Chaloux-Gendron (Le Noroît); And Transparent mourningby Virginie Savard (Triptych).
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The poet Louise Dupré
In the Essays category, the finalists are False rebels: The excesses of political incorrectnessby Philippe Bernier Arcand (Bush Poets); I accuse the torturers of Omar Khadrby Frédéric Bérard (Saint-Jean); The provocative societyby Dahlia Namian (Lux); Megaptera, by Martine Béland (Leméac); And Panic at Universityby Francis Dupuis-Déri (Lux).
Among the finalists in the Theater category are also Akuteuby Soleil Launière (Editions du stir-ménage); Charlie, wind behind the navelby Martin Bellemare (Playwrights); Big guyby Mathieu Gosselin (Somme tout); The ICES, by Rébecca Déraspe (Your Mother); And Mamaby Nathalie Doummar (Editions du Stir-Mage).
The other award-winning categories are Children’s Literature, in which Sylvie Drapeau’s first children’s novel was ranked, among others, Escarpolette (Dominique and company/Heritage); Illustrated books, which includes among the finalists I’m writing to you from my bed, by Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve and Agathe Bray-Bourret (Les 400 coups); and finally Translation from English to French, in which the translation of Emma Hooper’s novel has found a place Let’s not be afraid of the skysigned by Dominique Fortier (at Alto).
In total, 70 finalists published nationally in 2022 and 2023 were chosen, in French and English.
The winners of the seven categories will be announced on November 8.