TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist was announced, celebrating five Canadian fiction writers and the 30^th anniversary of the Prize. Elamin Abdelmahmoud of CBC Radio announced the finalists in Toronto.

The authors on the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist are:

• Sarah Bernstein for her novel Study For Obedience, published by Knopf Canada
• Eleanor Catton for her novel Birnam Wood, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Kevin Chong for his novel The Double Life of Benson Yu, published by Simon & Schuster
• Dionne Irving for her short story collection, The Islands: Stories, published by Catapult Press
• CS Richardson for his novel All The Colour in the World, published by Knopf Canada

This year's jury, made up of Canadian authors Ian Williams (jury chair), Sharon Bala and Brian Thomas Isaac, and American author Rebecca Makkai and Indian-British writer, Neel Mukherjee, narrowed down the 145 submitted works to five to create this year's shortlisted authors.

Read the jury citations about each of the shortlisted authors.

The Scotiabank Giller Prize winner will be announced live on CBC at an event hosted by the incomparable Rick Mercer on November 13, 2023 at 9 p.m. ET. The broadcast will be presented commercial-free courtesy of Scotia Wealth Management. CBC Gem will stream the ceremony, with a livestream also available on cbcbooks.ca/gillerprize. Listeners can tune in to the broadcast special on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen.  

The 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlisted books are available in accessible format for print-disabled Canadians through the National Network for Equitable Library Services (NNELS) and the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA).

Quotes

"These five authors offered up hypnotic, mesmerizing stories to this year's jury. Each one rare, each one unique. The jury agonized over the final five books, arguing passionately and forcefully for their choices. The list and the authors they ultimately arrived at showcases the depth and breadth of Canadian literature. Congratulations to all." 
- Elana Rabinovitch, Executive Director, Scotiabank Giller Prize

"Congratulations to the authors named to the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist. This group of authors have created timeless stories and I am certain their celebrated works will be fixtures on bookshelves for years to come. At Scotiabank, we are proud of our longstanding partnership with the Giller Foundation. It is an honour to support diverse Canadian storytellers from coast-to-coast-to-coast and we look forward to celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the Prize through the Between the Pages tour and winner's gala this fall."
- Laura Curtis Ferrera, Chief Marketing Officer, Scotiabank

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 2023 shortlist. All venues are wheelchair accessible. The authors' travel for the tour has been generously provided by The Azrieli Foundation.

• Vancouver – October 16
• Ottawa – October 18
• Halifax – November 2
• Toronto – November 7

For more information, please visit scotiabankgillerprize.ca/btp.

About the Prize
Founded by Jack Rabinovitch in 1994, the Giller Prize is Canada's leading and most influential literary prize for fiction. The Giller Effect has been recognized industry-wide as one of the top drivers of book sales in Canada. Scotiabank has been title sponsor since 2005. 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. The award is named in honour of Jack Rabinovitch's wife, the late literary journalist, Doris Giller.

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 $1.4 trillion (as at July 31, 2023), 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 X @Scotiabank.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
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, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, 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.

About The Azrieli Foundation
With a firm belief that everyone has a contribution to make, the Azrieli Foundation has been opening doors, breaking ground, and nurturing networks for more than 30 years. The Foundation – the largest non-corporate foundation in Canada – funds institutions and operates programs in Canada and Israel. For more information, please visit azrielifoundation.org.

SOURCE Scotiabank