David Bergen, Sarah Bernstein among authors on 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize long list

David Bergen, Sarah Bernstein and Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer are among the authors on the long list for this year’s Scotiabank Giller Prize. 

Last year’s winner, Suzette Mayr, revealed the list in St. John’s, N.L., at an event that kicked off the 30^th anniversary of the Canadian literary prize.

Bergen, who won the 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel “The Time In Between,” made the 2023 long list with “Away from the Dead,” published by Goose Lane Editions.

Bernstein received a nod for her second novel “Study for Obedience,” published by Knopf Canada, which also made the long list for the prestigious Booker Prize earlier this summer. 

Also on the list is Kuitenbrouwer’s “Wait Softly Brother,” a novel published by Wolsak & Wynn that has been described as autobiographical fiction.

Organizers say the 12 titles were chosen from a record number of 145 book submissions made by publishers across Canada and the short list for the prize will be announced on Oct. 11.

The Scotiabank Giller Prize awards $100,000 to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each of the finalists.

The winner will be announced on Nov. 13 during a broadcast on CBC and the CBC Gem streaming service.

Other titles on the long list are: 

-Eleanor Catton’s novel “Birnam Wood,” published by McClelland & Stewart;  

-Kevin Chong’s novel “The Double Life of Benson Yu,” published by Simon & Schuster;

-Nina Dunic’s novel “The Clarion,” published by Invisible Publishing; 

-Erum Shazia Hasan’s novel “We Meant Well,” published by ECW Press; 

-Dionne Irving’s short story collection, “The Islands: Stories,” published by Catapult Press; 

-Menaka Raman-Wilms’ novel “The Rooftop Garden,” published by Nightwood  Editions; 

-CS Richardson’s novel “All The Colour in the World,” published by Knopf Canada. (Richardson previously made the 2012 long list for his novel “The Emperor of Paris”);  

-Kasia Von Schaik’s short story collection “We Have Never Lived on Earth,” published by The University of Alberta Press; 

-Deborah Willis’ novel “Girlfriend on Mars,” published by Hamish Hamilton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2023.

The Canadian Press