The Globe & Mail's advice on guessing the Giller without actually reading the books:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/in-...

Steven Beattie's blog (linked to from the Globe post) is very good -- he reads the shortlist and reviews them all. This year, he's doing it very slowly. They're not his kind of thing.

The shortlist is out....

by Kim Echlin
by Annabel Lyon
by Linden MacIntyre
by Colin McAdam
by Anne Michaels

I feel bad, I haven't read any of these. Can anyone recommend a starting point? I'm sure these books are all fantastic, but I have no idea what they are about? other than maybe Canada in some way.

Yes, sorry, four small presses.

Andrew wrote: "Three of the books are from small presses this year, which is unusual. Last year, I think the only small press contender was Marina Endicott."

What do you consider to be a small press? I saw the list as having four smaller presses: Pedlar, Cormorant, Coteau and McArthur & Company. But yes, it is unusual for there to be so many smaller presses represented!

Three of the books are from small presses this year, which is unusual. Last year, I think the only small press contender was Marina Endicott.

Suzie wrote: "Are there any books that anyone is surprised that they're absent from this list?."

Hi Suzie.

I am also surprised about Lisa Moore's absence from the list. My other disappointment is Michael Crummey not being included this time around.

I do like the fact that many of the writers nominated are lesser known. This will be a nice boost for them and their work.

Long-time fan of CanLit, new joiner to the group here! :)

Another interesting note with this year's list is that all the nominated works are novels – of course, had Munro stayed in the game, we very likely would have had one short story collection on the list.

Also, the gender ratio of this year's longlist is exactly opposite to last year's when there were 10 males and 2 females.

Are there any books that anyone is surprised that they're absent from this list? I have yet to read Lisa Moore's February, but from everything I've heard about it, I was sure it was a shoe-in.

Andrew wrote: "There's a real preponderance of historical fiction here, which should get Giller critics and Canlit malcontents good and riled."

You think? LOL!! I just read your post in the other Canadian book group and it is an interesting one. I am so fond of Richler, both the man and his writing, and had not heard that quote from him before. He makes a good point, but I imagine many authors would argue the parameters are a bit rigid. I like your thought on the idea of comfort. It reminds me of Vera Lynn, at the age of 92, having the number one hit in Britain right now.

There's a real preponderance of historical fiction here, which should get Giller critics and Canlit malcontents good and riled.

Andrew wrote: "Was "The Winter Vault" really out this year?"

Hi Andrew. It came out in March, so it isn't that fresh.

The Giller Prize site made three (!!) typos in three author's names - Claire Holden Rothman (they left out the Holden), Kate Pullinger (they left the R off the end of her last name) and Martha Baillie (there are two 'L's in her last name). :P

Sweet!!

I am happy to see Claire Rothman and Shani Mootoo on the list. It's an interesting selection this year, no?

No more guesswork: the long list has been released.

The Year of the Flood A Novel by Margaret Atwood
The Incident Report by Martha Bailie
The Disappeared by Kim Echlin
The Heart Specialist by Claire Rothman
The Colour of Lightning by Paulette Giles
The Factory Voice by Jeanette Lynes
The Golden Mean by Annabelle Lyon
The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre
Fall by Colin McAdam
The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels
Valmiki's Daughter by Shani Mootoo
The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinge

Was The Winter Vault really out this year?

If you haven't heard of most of these, it might be because most fiction comes out in the fall, at about the same time as the prizes are announced. Some books aren't even on the shelves, and advance copies are sent to the awards juries.

Notably, this year the long list is almost all women, and three are from small presses.

Any more guesses for the longlist?

Link to past Giller winners posting on Wikipedia (I couldn't actually find an 'official' Giller listing as complete as this post.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotiabank_...

I am curious as to whether the following will be longlist contenders:


Galore by Michael Crummey
February by Lisa Moore
The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels
Suddenly by Bonnie Burnard - just under the wire with a September 11th release date.
The Last Woman by John Bemrose - squeaking in with at September 29th release date.

All of these writers have been previously considered for the Giller. My curiousity about The Winter Vault has more to do with Michaels success with Fugitive Pieces, yet not winning the Giller (of course '96 was a huge year for great CanLit and Atwood won for Alias Grace), and whether there is a possibility for "her body of work" being recognized (as small as her 'novel' body of work is).

Do you have any thoughts on Alice Munro's opt-out?

Atwood's The Year of the Flood is a shoe-in for the shortlist. Award juries try to demonstrate their credibility by selecting the biggies.

Alice Munro's Too Much Happiness is, of course, a shoe-out.

The 2009 Giller Prize for Fiction

On September 21st, the long list for Canada's Giller Prize for Fiction will be announced. The short list will be announced on October 6th and the prize will be awarded at a televised (CTV) gala ceremony on November 10th.

For those unfamiliar with the award, it is the richest award for fiction given in Canada. Here are the criteria that must be met in order for a book to merit consideration:

1) The Scotiabank Giller Prize is worth $70,000 (Cdn.) annually. A purse of $50,000 is awarded to the author of the best Canadian full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English. Each of the finalists will receive $5,000.

2) To be eligible, a book must be a first-edition full length novel or short story collection, written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.

3) Books must be published in Canada, in English, between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009 to be eligible for the 2009 Prize.

4) No self-published books shall be eligible.

5) The decision of the judges as to whether a book is eligible shall be binding.

This year the judging panel includes authors Russell Banks, Victoria Glendinning and Alastair MacLeod.

Last year, author Joseph Boyden won for his novel Through Black Spruce.

I am quite eager to learn who has made the long list and hope we can discuss all things Giller related in this discussion area.

Do you have any guesses for which books might make the list?