For any Canadian writer, the Governor General award is the literary equivalent to an Oscar. Dating back to 1936, the Governor General Award is Canada’s most prestigious literary award. There are several categories including fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry, children literature and translation. There are two winners per category, one for an English book and one for a French book.
Listed below are the English-speaking winners in the categories of poetry, drama and children’s literature for the 21st century.
Discover the incredible talent and extraordinary books that encompass the 21st century of Canadian poetry, drama and children’s literature, both text and illustrations.
Past Poetry Winners:
2000: Another Gravity by Don McKay
2001: Execution Poems by George Elliot
2002: Surrender by Roy Miki
2003: Kill-site by Tim Lilburn
2004: Short Journey Upriver Toward Oishida by Roo Borson
2005: Processional by Anne Compton
2006: Stumbling in the Bloom by John Pass
2007: All our Wonder Unavenged by Don Domanski
2008: More to Keep us Warm by Jacob Scheier
Past Drama Winners:
2000: Elizabeth Rex by Timothy Findley
2001: The Harps of God by Kent Stetson
2002: Unity (1918) by Kevin Kerr
2003: Einstein’s Gift by Vern Thiessen
2004: Girl in the Goldfish Bowl by Morris Panych
2005: Half Life by John Mighton
2006: I Still Love You by Daniel MacIvor
2007: The December Man by Colleen Murphy
2008: Bone Cage by Catherine Banks
Past Kids Lit Winners:
Who won the hearts of millions of children and adults across the nation?
2000: Looking for X by Deborah Ellis (Text) and Yuck, a Love Story by Marie-Louise Gay (Illustration)
2001: Dust by Arthur Slade (Text) and An Island in the Soup by Mireille Levert (Illustration)
2002 True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks (text) and Alphabeasts by Wallace Edwards (Illustration)
2003: Stitches by Glen Huser (Text) and The Songs within my Heart by Allen Sapp (illustration)
2004: Airborn by Kenneth Oppel (text) and Jabberwockey by Stephane Jorisch (illustration)
2005: The Crazy Man by Pamela Porter (text) and Imagine a Day by Rob Gonsalves (illustration)
2006: Pirate Passage by William Gilkerson (text) and Ancient Thunder by Leo Yerxa (illustration)
2007: Gemini Summer by Iain Lawrence (text) and The Boy from the Sun by Duncan Weller (illustration)
2008: The Landing by John Ibbitson (text) and The Owl and the Pussycat by Stephane Jorisch (illustration).
For more information on the books and the authors and for a sneak peak of what’s to come this year, check out the Governor General Literary Awards website. Also check out the past Governor General winners in the field of nonfiction and fiction with Fiction and Non Fiction Past Governor General Wins.
The 2009 GG finalists will be announced in October with the winners decided in November.
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