2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize

[SensualPoet]

2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize

The Scotiabank Giller Prize is Canada’s most distinguished literary prize, awarding $50,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English. Finalists on the Shortlist receive $5,000. The award was established in 1994 by Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller. In September 2005, Scotiabank was proud to become the first ever co-sponsor of the prize – and it has been known as the Scotiabank Giller Prize ever since. This is the 18th year of the prize. CBC will be providing television coverage of the Gala on 8 November 2011. The official website is www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca.

The Long List - Announced 6 Sep 2011

The Scotiabank Giller jury comments: "Each title on our longlist dignifies world literature, not only Canadian literature. That said, the Canadian fiction we have unanimously chosen exhibits an astonishing range of dramatic incident, subject, narrative strategy and memorable characters. What connects these wonderful books is an excellence of craft. Many of these novels and collections have intensely cinematic qualities; others, decidedly influenced by 19th-century classics. All have the deepest levels of engagement with the art of storytelling and bring life to the page with vivid immediacy. Our list is a celebration of eclectic and fearless writing."

Quick overview from the Globe and Mail and the National Post.

David Bezmozgis for his novel, THE FREE WORLD, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (Mar 2011)

Kobo $14 • Kindle $16 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Clarke Blaise for his short story collection, THE MEAGRE TARMAC, Biblioasis (May 2011)

Updated vendor: Kobo $10; $20 paper • Updated price: Kindle $9 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Lynn Coady for her novel, THE ANTAGONIST, House of Anansi Press (Aug 2011)

Updated price: Kobo $18 • Kindle $18 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Michael Christie for his short story collection, THE BEGGAR’S GARDEN, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. (Jan 2011)

Kobo $12 • Updated vendor: Kindle Updated price: $14 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Patrick DeWitt for his novel, THE SISTERS BROTHERS, House of Anansi Press (May 2011)

Kobo $12 • Kindle $12 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review • Independent UK review
Also nominated for the 2011 Man Booker Prize

Myrna Dey for her novel, EXTENSIONS, NeWest Press (already selected as Reader's Choice) (Oct 2010)

Updated vendor: Kobo Updated price: $12; $23 paper

Esi Edugyan for her novel, HALF-BLOOD BLUES, Thomas Allen Publishers (Aug 2011)

Updated price: Kobo $10 • Updated price: Kindle $10 • Globe and Mail review • Independent UK review
Also nominated for the 2011 Man Booker Prize

Marina Endicott for her novel, THE LITTLE SHADOWS, Doubleday Canada (to be released 27 Sep 2011)

Updated vendor: Kobo $18; $33 hard cover • Updated vendor: Kindle $18

Zsuzsi Gartner for her short story collection, BETTER LIVING THROUGH PLASTIC EXPLOSIVES, Hamish Hamilton Canada (Apr 2011)

Kobo $20 • Vendor updated: Kindle $23 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Genni Gunn for her novel, SOLITARIA, Signature Editions (Sep 2010)

Updated vendor: Kobo $10; $20 paper but currently out of print • Updated price: Kindle $10 • Winnipeg Review review

Pauline Holdstock for her novel, INTO THE HEART OF THE COUNTRY, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (Mar 2011)

Kobo $14 • Updated vendor: Kindle $16 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Wayne Johnston for his novel, A WORLD ELSEWHERE, Knopf Canada (Aug 2011)

Kobo $10 • Updated vendor: Kindle $10 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Dany Laferrière for his novel, THE RETURN (translation, David Homel), Douglas & McIntyre (Aug 2011)

Updated vendor: Kobo $14; $23 paper • Updated vendor: Kindle $10

Suzette Mayr for her novel, MONOCEROS, Coach House Books (Apr 2011)

Updated vendor: Kobo $11; $21 paper (5 weeks shipping) • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Michael Ondaatje for his novel, THE CAT’S TABLE, McClelland & Stewart (Aug 2011)

Kobo $10 • Kindle $10 • Globe and Mail review • National Post review

Guy Vanderhaeghe for his novel, A GOOD MAN, McClelland & Stewart (Updated: released 13 Sep 2011)

Updated price (x2): Kobo $10 • Updated price: Kindle $10

Alexi Zentner for his novel, TOUCH, Knopf Canada (Apr 2011)

Kobo $13 • Kindle $14 • National Post review

Related Scotiabank Giller Prize posts at Mobileread

"Readers Choice" nomination for Scotia-Bank Giller Long list
Scotiabank Giller 2010 Prize Shortlist

[taming]

Good job, SP! There is quite the brou-ha-ha about the Readers Choice nomination. I doubt we will see that tried again.

[siraks]

i read The Sisters Brothers last month and enjoyed it.
to be honest from the descriptions i was expecting one thing and completely got something else instead.
as i was reading it i didn't know what to think about the whole experience but when i was finished i thought it was pretty good.

[DiapDealer]

I enjoyed The Sisters Brothers as well. A Western a la Cormac McCarthy (if McCarthy had a sense of humor).

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by taming

Good job, SP! There is quite the brou-ha-ha about the Readers Choice nomination. I doubt we will see that tried again.

At least this title is now released as an ebook from Kobo; OP updated.

[SensualPoet]

A few more changes added: some price drops, and two more titles now in Kobo editions; three more titles in Kindle editions; see red changes in original post. One title still unreleased; two titles still lack any ebook edition.

Kobo and Kindle prices having been matched in a few cases.

[taming]

Kobo now has 16 of the 17 books. Little Shadows in available as a pre-order in hardcover form, but there are no signs of a digital edition yet. Shame on Random House.

[SensualPoet]

Kobo has no mechanism for pre-orders. I wonder if it will be available in any format in the US market in 2011?

[taming]

It looks like the paperback edition will be available fairly soon. I saw it promoted on a bunch of different sites--including the publishers. Amazon.com says it is out of print--the .ca site says coming soon. Odd.

I could understand how a small press like Gaspereau did not have The Sentimentalists available last year, but Random House--and no versions at all??? Part of why I am amazed is that RH most likely submitted the book as one of their 3 entries for CanLit and elsewhere. Did they really think so little of the book that they let it go out of print?

I am going on and on about this, but the author was short listed for an earlier Giller--this could not have been a darkhorse. Sheesh.

On the RandomHouse Canada site, there is a listing for the eBook, available Sept 27 for $32.

[SensualPoet]

*Whew!*

Still more changes ... red are any changes made since the original post. A take-away: now all but one title is available as Kobo, and just two are missing from Kindle. The missing Kobo isn't actually released yet in any format (Kindle offers a pre-order); the two missing Kindles are small press books. Nonetheless, we are much further ahead 10 days later.

Interestingly, both vendors continue to futz with the pricing, with a virtual match. It should be noted all Kobo prices do NOT include local (ie Canadian) taxes; several of the Kindle books DO include taxes ... it varies by publisher.

The Short List will be published Oct 4th.

[taming]

Just to add to the excitement--some amazing book bloggers/reviewers are doing the "shadow Giller" this year. There have been folks doing this since 1995. Read all about it here: http://kevinfromcanada.wordpress.com...iller-is-back/

[melmac]

I was inspired by your wonderfully formated post
So i picked up The Sister Brothers from Kobo in the Au store it shows up as $10.00 and I was able to apply the save20sept292 coupon to it Now I just need to find some time to get reading.
http://www.kobobooks.com/content/Ope...uMA/page1.html

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by taming

Just to add to the excitement--some amazing book bloggers/reviewers are doing the "shadow Giller" this year. There have been folks doing this since 1995. Read all about it here: http://kevinfromcanada.wordpress.com...iller-is-back/

Thanks for this! I following KevinfromCanada blog last year at Giller Time but missed the bits about the Shadow Giller.

I have to say, however, my interest waned a bit when the poster blurted out that last year's Shadow Giller was Alexander MacLeod's Light Lifting> I posted a review and shared some disappointment in this thread.

[taming]

I remember reading that post last year, SP, and passed on reading the book.

[SensualPoet]

All Scotiabank Giller Long List books are now available for for Kobo and all but two titles for Kindle.

Next stage is Oct 4th when the Short List is released. That's the same day Apple will be announcing the iPhone 4x and/or 5 but I am sure the Giller news will take priority is newsrooms everywhere ...