Four members of UBC’s Creative Writing program were longlisted for the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize:
- Michael Christie, MFA alumnus, for his novel Greenwood (McClelland & Stewart);
- Megan Gail Coles, MFA alumnus, for her novel Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club (House of Anansi Press);
- Alix Ohlin, program chair, for her novel Dual Citizens (House of Anansi Press); and
- Ian Williams, assistant professor, for his novel Reproduction (Random House Canada).
The Scotiabank Giller Prize is Canada’s largest literary award at $100,000. The annual prize recognizes the very best of Canadian fiction. This year, 117 works of literature were submitted for consideration, with the longlist narrowed down to 12.
“Congratulations to the 2019 Scotiabank Giller longlisted authors. Scotiabank is proud to continue our support of Canadian literature through the Prize. Like all art, great books have a unique way of challenging us to see things from different perspectives and inspire us to pursue our own passions. The strong group of authors on the 2019 Scotiabank Prize longlist, is another example of the impressive talent right here in Canada,” says John Doig, executive vice president retail distribution, Scotiabank.
The longlist was selected by a five-member jury panel: Canadian authors Donna Baily Nurse, Randy Boyagoda (jury chair) and Canadian playwright José Teodoro, joined by Scottish-Sierra Leonean author Aminatta Forna and Bosnian-American author Aleksander (Sasha) Hemon.
This year’s shortlist will be announced in Toronto on September 30.
