TORONTO, Nov. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Michael Redhill has been named the winner of the $100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel Bellevue Square, published by Doubleday Canada. The announcement was made at a black-tie dinner and award ceremony hosted by Mary Walsh and attended by nearly 500 members of the publishing, media and arts communities. The gala was broadcast live on CBC, CBC Radio One and live-streamed on CBCBooks.ca.

This year the Prize celebrates its 24th anniversary. 

The shortlist of five authors and their books, announced on October 2, 2017, included:

• Rachel Cusk for her novel Transit, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
• Ed O'Loughlin for his novel Minds of Winter, published by House of Anansi Press
• Michael Redhill for his novel Bellevue Square, published by Doubleday Canada
• Eden Robinson for her novel Son of a Trickster, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada
• Michelle Winters for her novel I am a Truck, published by Invisible Publishing

The esteemed five-member jury panel made up of Canadian writers André Alexis (2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner), Anita Rau Badami (jury chair) and Lynn Coady (2013 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner), along with British writer Richard Beard and American writer Nathan Englander selected the longlist, shortlist and ultimate winner.

Of the winning book, the jury wrote:

"To borrow a line from Michael Redhill's beautiful Bellevue Square, "I do subtlety in other areas of my life." So let's look past the complex literary wonders of this book, the doppelgangers and bifurcated brains and alternate selves, the explorations of family, community, mental health, and literary life. Let's stay straightforward, and tell you that beyond the mysterious elements, this novel is warm, and funny, and smart. Let's celebrate that it is, simply, a pleasure to read."

MICHAEL REDHILL is a novelist, poet, playwright and former publisher of Brick. He is the author of the novels, Consolation and Martin Sloane, which was a finalist for the 2001 Giller Prize; the short story collection Fidelity; and the poetry collection Light-Crossing; among other acclaimed works. He lives in Toronto.

During the award ceremony, Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman performed a tribute to Jack Rabinovitch, founder of the Giller Prize who died in August. A roster of distinguished authors – Lawrence Hill, John Irving, Rupi Kaur, Thomas King and Madeleine Thien – introduced the shortlisted authors and presented video profiles highlighting the nominated books.

Listen to CBC Radio's q tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET for an interview with Michael Redhill and relive the gala at CBCBooks.ca.

Ask the author your questions about his book during a live Twitter chat hosted by @GillerPrize on November 23 at 2:00 p.m. ET using the hashtag #GillerWinner.

Images from tonight's gala will be available on the Media Resources page at www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca

PARTNERSHIPS AND SPONSORSHIPS:

Audible is the exclusive audiobook sponsor of the Scotiabank Giller Prize. In September, the world's leader in Audiobooks and audio entertainment launched Audible.ca, a dedicated service for Canadians which celebrates our country's rich literary and theatrical tradition.

The winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize will be given an opportunity to explore, expand, and develop their practice during a two-week, self-directed residency in Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity's exclusive Leighton Artists' Studios.  Banff Centre is Canada's leading destination for arts training and is located in the heart of Banff National Park. (banffcentre.ca)

About the Prize

The Scotiabank Giller Prize, founded in 1994, highlights the very best in Canadian fiction year after year. The Prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each of the finalists. The award is named in honour of the late literary journalist Doris Giller by her husband, Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch, who passed away suddenly in August 2017.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 24 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of over $906 billion (as at July 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About Scotiabank Giller Light Bash

Now in its 16^th year, the Scotiabank Giller Light Bash is hosted nationwide in seven cities – Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Toronto and Halifax – in support of national literacy organization Frontier College. All proceeds support Frontier College and provide essential literacy programs for children, youth and adults in communities across Canada. For more information, please visit www.gillerlightbash.ca

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada's trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will be at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.

About Audible

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible was created to unleash the emotive music in language and the habituating power and utility of verbal expression. Audible content includes more than 300,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible is also the provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple's iTunes Store.

About Banff Centre

Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organization leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to society through cross-disciplinary learning opportunities, world-class performances, and public outreach. www.banffcentre.ca

About Cineplex

A leading entertainment and media company, Cineplex (TSX:CGX) is a top-tier Canadian brand that operates in the Film Entertainment and Content, Amusement and Leisure, and Media sectors.  As Canada's largest and most innovative film exhibitor, Cineplex welcomes 75 million guests annually through its circuit of 163 theatres across the country.  Cineplex also operates successful businesses in digital commerce (CineplexStore.com), food service, alternative programming (Cineplex Events), cinema media (Cineplex Media), digital place-based media (Cineplex Digital Media), amusement solutions (Player One Amusement Group) and an online eSports platform for competitive and passionate gamers (WorldGaming.com).  Additionally, Cineplex operates a location based entertainment business through Canada's newest destination for 'Eats & Entertainment' (The Rec Room), and will also be opening new complexes specially designed for teens and families (Playdium) as well as exciting new sports and entertainment venues in communities across the country (Topgolf).  Cineplex is a joint venture partner in SCENE, Canada's largest entertainment loyalty program.

Proudly recognized as having one of the country's Most Admired Corporate Cultures, Cineplex employs approximately 13,000 people in its offices across Canada and the United States.  To learn more visit Cineplex.com or download the Cineplex App.

SOURCE Scotiabank