ST. JOHN'S, Sept. 3, 2019 /CNW/ - The Scotiabank Giller Prize's annual celebration of Canadian literary talent began today with the announcement of this year's longlist. Twenty eighteen winner, Esi Edugyan hosted the event, unveiling the nominees.

Now in its 26^th year, the Scotiabank Giller Prize is focused on highlighting the very best of Canadian fiction. This year, 117 works of literature were submitted for consideration, with the longlist narrowed down to 12.

The 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist is:

• André Alexis for his novel Days by Moonlight, published by Coach House Books
• Margaret Atwood for her novel The Testaments, published by McClelland & Stewart
• David Bezmozgis for his short story collection Immigrant City, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
• Michael Christie for his novel Greenwood, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Megan Gail Coles for her novel Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club, published by House of Anansi Press
• Michael Crummey for his novel The Innocents, published by Doubleday Canada
• Adam Foulds for his novel Dream Sequence, published by Biblioasis
• K.D. Miller for her short story collection Late Breaking, published by Biblioasis
• Alix Ohlin for her novel Dual Citizens, published by House of Anansi Press
• Steven Price for his novel Lampedusa, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Zalika Reid-Benta for her short story collection Frying Plantain, published by Astoria, an imprint of House of Anansi Press
• Ian Williams for his novel Reproduction, published by Random House Canada

The longlist was selected by an esteemed five-member jury panel: Canadian authors Donna Bailey Nurse, Randy Boyagoda (jury chair) and Canadian playwright José Teodoro, joined by Scottish-Sierra Leonean author Aminatta Forna and Bosnian-American author Aleksandar (Sasha) Hemon.

Of the longlist, the jury wrote:

"Over the past few months, we have had the opportunity to read a selection of books that speak to the distinctive vitality of Canadian writing now. The 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist reveals and affirms a welcome and timely truth: Canadian fiction in 2019 is as confident in its exploration and interrogation of the local as it is curious and voracious in its engagement with the world beyond our borders, with time and place being understood in ways that are expansive, warping, and unexpectedly intimate. These books make it plain that great writing happens when art and ideas matter over all else in establishing the imaginative terrain that readers are invited, inspired, and challenged to explore."

This year's shortlist will be announced at a press event at the Scotiabank Centre at Scotia Plaza in Toronto on September 30^th, at 11 a.m. ET. (Doors open at 10:30 a.m.)

Quotes

"The 2019 jury wrestled to get this list down to the 12 extraordinary books presented today. The authors and their books deserve to be read and read widely. Each work is unique, showcasing a range of voices, styles and themes. Only 12 could be chosen but there was so much to choose from. We're delighted to be going into our 26^th year with an incredibly powerful display of Canadian literary talent."
- Elana Rabinovitch, Executive Director, Scotiabank Giller Prize

"Congratulations to the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize 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 Giller Prize longlist, is another example of the impressive talent right here in Canada."
- John Doig, Executive Vice President Retail Distribution, Scotiabank

The Scotiabank Giller Prize is pleased once again to present our Between the Pages series of readings, featuring this year's shortlisted authors.

Between the Pages: An Evening with the Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalists will take you inside the minds and creative lives of the writers on the 2019 shortlist. All venues are wheelchair accessible and an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter will be present.

The Between the Pages tour will stop in the following locations:

• Ottawa – October 16
• Halifax – October 18
• Vancouver – October 21
• Winnipeg – October 23
• Toronto – October 28
• New York – October 30

For more information about the Between the Pages tour, please visit: www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/news-events/events-and-important-dates/

We are delighted to announce that Air Canada will be the official and exclusive airline of the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Air Canada's sponsorship will take the finalists across the country and into the U.S., for the Between the Pages tour.

The 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize gala will air on Monday, November 18^th, on CBC at 9 p.m., (ET) CBC Radio One at 9 p.m. (ET) and will be livestreamed at CBCBooks.ca.

About the Prize
The Giller Prize, founded by Jack Rabinovitch in 1994, highlights the very best in Canadian fiction year after year. In 2005, the prize teamed up with Scotiabank who increased the winnings four-fold. The Scotiabank Giller Prize now 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 in August 2017.

About Scotiabank           
Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 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 100,000 employees and assets of over $1 trillion (as at July 31, 2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

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CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada's trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

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SOURCE Scotiabank