The Giller Prize

The Giller Prize is an annual award that is Canada's highest prize for fiction. It's one of those cliched cases where even to make the shortlist is an honour. This year, the finalists are:

Ala Cumyn for Burridge Unbound
Elizabeth Hay for A Student of Weather
Michael Ondaatje for Anil's Ghost
David Adams Richards for Mercy Among the Children
Eden Robinson for Monkey Beach
Fred Stenson for The Trade

The very distinguished jury include Margaret Atwood, Alistair LacLeod and Jane Urquhart.

I am actually quite surprised that Atwood was not nominated for her novel The Blind Assassin. However, my instincts go towards Michael Ondaatje. Although some have criticized Anil's Ghost for being ploddingly boring, I found the novel quite innovative. First of all, he writes in the voice of a woman very convincingly, and the subject matter is extremely daring. A disturbing look at civil war in Sri Lanka through the eyes of a Canadian woman with roots in that part of the world, Anil's Ghost juxtaposes past and present, with many lives merging.

My second bet would be for David Adams Richards, followed closely by Fred Stenson.

There is a very mixed bag up for Governor General's Literary Awards this year as well -- more about that next week.

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