The Giller and the Governor: The Prizes of Richard B. Wright

The Governor General's award has been announced today, Nov. 14, in Ottawa. Richard B. Wright has won the prestigious $15,000 award, adding it to his not yet dusty Giller Prize that he picked up on Nov 6th. Clara Callan , has been praised for "Linguistic inventiveness, stylistic fluidity and the clarity of the message make for pleasurable reading throughout this masterful, provocative piece of work," says a statement from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Needless to say taking home both prestigious prizes will make the hard work of writing nine novels well worth the effort.Until now, Richard Wright was largely considered an overlooked author in Canadian literature. He wrote The Weekend Man, in 1970, which was met with great reviews and not so great sales.In 1995 he was short-listed for the Giller Prize for his novel The Age of Longing.

A recent press release sums up Clara Callans merits,' Clara Callan brilliantly transfers ordinary lives onto a wider canvas to portray the grandeur of an era. In a style that is understated yet compelling, Wright blends the forms of the letter and the journal to construct a powerful narrative.'

Clara Callan is the tale of two sisters who lead very different lives. One sister, Clara, lives in small town Ontario and longs for adventure, while the other Nora Callan lives in New York. Richard Wright follows the lives of the two sisters, and set his novel in the middle of the Great Depression. The novel has been compared to Brian Moore's 'I am Mary Dunne' for the spooky ability of a male author to so accurately portray the inner lives and drives of female characters.

In winning both the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award, Wright has placed himself at the forefront of Canadian literature. He has earned his place, and his name rests beside the well-known Canadian authors such as Margaret Atwood, and Mordecai Richler who passed away this year.

Wright commented, "I'm a pessimist. I don't expect to win things," after accepting the Giller Prize. The fabric of Canadian literature is reputably built upon that very psychology. Despite the pessimism, Canada's authors are sought after world wide, and have rightly gained great respect in the global literary arena. Some day, we hope, that Canadian authors will step-up and loudly claim their place in the literary hierachy. In the meantime taking home two prizes should make Richard B. Wright much less of a pessimist.

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