The long list for the 2015 Giller Prize has just been announced, and, as usual, the jury – this year consisting of Irish author John Boyne, Canadian writers Cecil Foster, Alexander MacLeod and Alison Pick, and British author Helen Oyeyemi – has made some surprising choices.
First, the good news. It’s a delight to see Anakana Schofield on the list, chosen for her novel Martin John. Schofield is a fresh, edgy voice and deserves the attention. Small press Biblioasis must be heaven with Samuel Archibald on the list for his story collection Arvida. And I’m glad to see Heather O’Neill make the cut for Daydreams Of Angels (see review), even though she was shortlisted last year. You don’t want to spread the wealth – to use a phrase thrown around by those who get tired of seeing the same names on jury lists – if it means ignoring great work.
Speaking of which, Margaret Atwood should have made this list. The Heart Goes Last (McClelland and Stewart) – which is not yet in stores – is another terrific dystopian novel. I don’t care if she has hundreds of trophies on the shelf. And why snub Helen Humphreys? The Evening Chorus is gorgeous.
Note to readers (and maybe me): don’t assume that the books you love were rejected by the jury. Publishers have to choose which publications to submit to the panel and may not have chosen your fave. And if some of the books on this list aren’t familiar to you, don’t worry. Some have not been released, and many were published only recently.
Here’s the full long list:
- André Alexis for his novel Fifteen Dogs, published by Coach House Books
- Samuel Archibald for his story collection Arvida, published by Biblioasis, translated from the French by Donald Winkler
- Michael Christie for his novel If I Fall, If I Die, published by McClelland & Stewart
- Rachel Cusk for her novel Outline, published by Harper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
- Patrick deWitt for his novel Undermajordomo Minor, published by House of Anansi Press
- Marina Endicott for her novel Close To Hugh, published by Doubleday Canada
- Connie Gault for her novel A Beauty, published by McClelland & Stewart
- Alix Hawley for her novel All True Not A Lie In It, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada
- Clifford Jackman for his novel The Winter Family, published by Penguin Random House Canada
- Heather O’Neill for her story collection Daydreams Of Angels, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
- Anakana Schofield for her novel Martin John, published by A John Metcalf Book, an imprint of Biblioasis
- Russell Smith for his story collection Confidence, published by A John Metcalf Book, an imprint of Biblioasis.
Look for the short list announcement on October 5.
More at scotiabankgillerprize.ca
