TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2021 /CNW/ - Scotiabank announced today a new collaboration with Little Free Library, the world's largest book-sharing movement, to place thousands of copies of The Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlisted novels in Little Free Libraries across Canada.

Today, Canadians can now find "book bundles" containing the 5 shortlisted novels in hundreds of Little Free Libraries across the country. The collaboration is an important component of Scotiabank's support for Canadian literary arts and will give more Canadians access to the Prize's shortlisted novels, and promote the work of some of Canada's most talented and diverse authors.

"Our mission for Little Free Library is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all," said Greig Metzger, Executive Director, Little Free Library. "We're proud of our collaboration with Scotiabank to bring the Scotiabank Giller Prize's shortlisted novels to more readers. Placing free, brand new novels in our book boxes nationwide is the perfect way to bring Canadians closer to some of the country's best storytellers."

Little Free Library is a non-profit organization that endeavours to expand access to books to readers of all skill levels and interests. With over 100,000 Little Free Libraries globally, the initiative shares 42 million books with community readers annually.

"Scotiabank, at its very core, is committed to making a difference in the communities in which we operate and one way we achieve this is through our partnership with the Scotiabank Giller Prize," said John Doig, Executive Vice President, Retail Sales, Scotiabank. "By providing more opportunity for Canadians to access the Prize's shortlisted novels, we hope this initiative creates Canada's largest book club, and that readers of all ages, from coast-to-coast find comfort, solace, adventure, action and learning from this year's talented shortlist."

Canadians can check out the shortlisted novels by visiting one of Canada's Little Free Libraries in their neighbourhoods. Scotiabank is also making space for Canadian stories in billboards and signage across the country through The Storyteller Shelves - where Canadians can scan a QR code and access an extended preview of all the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize novels.

Between the Pages: An Evening with the Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalists will take place on November 4, 2021, at Koerner Hall. Hosted by Jael Richardson, it will be an hour of readings, questions, and answers, and will take you inside the minds and creative lives of the writers on the 2021 shortlist. It will be livestreamed on the Prize's website and Facebook and YouTube pages. For more information please visit: www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/news-events/events-and-important-dates.

Readers are encouraged to watch the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize broadcast on Monday, November 8, at 9 p.m. ET (10:00 AT/10:30 NT) on CBC and the free CBC Gem streaming service, where the winner will be announced. A livestream will begin at 9 p.m. ET on CBC Books, and a broadcast special will air on CBC Radio One and the free CBC Listen App at 9 p.m. ET (10:00 AT/10:30 NT).

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future" we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success 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 over 90,000 employees and assets of approximately $1.2 trillion (as at July 31, 2021), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About the Scotiabank Giller 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 which increased the winnings 4-fold. The Scotiabank Giller Prize now awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each of the finalists. More information about the Giller Prize shortlisted novels and authors is available at: www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/live.

About Little Free Library:
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that operates more than 100,000 libraries in 100+ countries worldwide. Its mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led book-sharing boxes. Little Free Libraries are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day and are freely accessible to all, removing barriers to book access.

SOURCE Scotiabank