The Giller Prize shortlist was announced this morning. Between now and November 9th, the Shadow Jury will be reading and reviewing these books, as well as picking a winner in advance of the official winner. Will we be any better at predicting the winner than we were at predicting the shortlist? You can find all … Continue reading Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist 2020
Although David Bezmozgis has been on the Giller list before (with Free World in 2011 and The Betrayers in 2014), this is the first of his books I've read. And the only short story collection on the shortlist this year. (Here is my chance to put a plug in for K.D. Miller's Late Breaking - … Continue reading Giller Shortlist: Immigrant City by David Bezmozgis
The Scotiabank Giller Prize was founded in 1994 by the late Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his wife, the late literary journalist Doris Giller. The prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each of the finalists. The 2019 Giller Prize … Continue reading Scotiabank Giller Prize 2019: Longlist
The Giller Prize shortlist is out! The Shadow Jury will be reading and reviewing these books over the course of the next 6 weeks, and will be choosing a shadow winner a few days before the official Giller Prize announcement on November 19th. Patrick deWitt for his novel French Exit, published by House of Anansi Press My Thoughts: I'm looking forward to … Continue reading 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist
This is the 25th anniversary of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, a prize that was founded in 1994 by Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his wife, the late literary journalist Doris Giller. The prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each of the … Continue reading Scotiabank Giller Prize 2018: Longlist
The Giller Prize shortlist is out! The Shadow Jury will be reading and reviewing these books over the course of the next 6 weeks, and will be choosing a shadow winner a few days before the official Giller Prize announcement on November 20th. Rachel Cusk for her novel Transit, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd My thoughts: Unfortunately I wasn't a … Continue reading 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist
For the last few weeks, the Giller Shadow jury (Kim, Alison, and myself) have been reading and reviewing the shortlisted titles on the Giller Prize shortlist. (If you want to see my reviews, you can find them here.) As Kim says on Kevin's blog, "...it took a bit of deliberating, across time zones, provinces and … Continue reading 2016 Shadow Giller Winner
There was always that shadowy twin, thin when I was fat, fat when I was thin, myself in silvery negative, with dark teeth and shining white pupils glowing in that black sunlight of another world. --Margaret Atwood What Mona Awad does so well in this book is to put us inside the head of a woman with … Continue reading Shadow Giller: 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad
I put off writing my review of The Wonder for a couple of weeks after reading Kim's excellent review. I couldn't see how I could add anything more. But I have taken some time to forget about what she wrote so that I can concentrate on my own notes. Fans of Emma Donoghue will surely … Continue reading Shadow Giller: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
Gary Barwin's imagination knocked my socks off. History and adventure come together in this remarkable tale full of word play and wit, all told by a 500-year-old Yiddish-speaking parrot. So, you ask, how did this shell-less cheder-bocher - schoolboy - drawn from the waters of Ashkenaz find himself on the Spanish Main, the blade of … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Yiddish For Pirates by Gary Barwin
Consumed by Ink 