professor andrew david irvine

Since their founding in 1936, Canada’s GG Literary Awards have served as the country’s premier literary prize.

Together with Canada’s Storytellers and The Governor General’s Literary Awards of Canada: A Bibliography, this volume completes a three-volume collection that offers readers an overview of a much-loved literary prize.

Indeed, the Governor General’s Literary Awards have served as Canada’s premier literary prize for over three-quarters of a century. They have been awarded annually in a variety of evolving categories. Fifteen Governors General have served as their patron.

Between 1936 and 2018, the awards have recognized 719 books in English and French and have been presented to 580 authors, illustrators, and translators.

This fully bilingual, ground-breaking anthology includes excerpts from all 719 books. It gives readers a richly illustrated summary of the stunning variety of titles that have been recognized. This ground-breaking bilingual anthology includes excerpts of all 719 books. It provides readers with a richly illustrated summary of the stunning variety of titles that have been recognized over the years.

This anthology belongs on the shelves of all Canadian libraries.

For over three-quarters of a century, the Governor General’s Literary Awards have been awarded annually in a variety of evolving categories. Fifteen Governors General have served as their patron. The impressive list continues to grow apace: between 1936 and 2018, the awards recognized 719 books in English and French and have been presented to 580 authors, illustrators, and translators.

This beautifully illustrated bilingual compendium presents the biographies of all 580 award laureates, many accompanied by stunning archival portraits.

This is the final instalment in Andrew Irvine’s remarkable and comprehensive research into what has become a touchstone of Canada’s literary culture. Together with Canada’s Best and The Governor General’s Literary Awards of Canada: A Bibliography, this work provides readers with a definitive overview of this literary prize.

By itself, Canada’s Storytellers is an invaluable reading companion for anyone wanting to be introduced to many of our most influential authors, illustrators, and translators working in both French and English over the past decades. It belongs on the shelf of every enthusiast of Canadian literature.

Bilingual Edition.

The definitive bibliography of Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Awards

Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, Antonine Maillet, Carol Shields, Marie-Claire Blais, Gilles Vigneault… For over three quarters of a century, the Governor General’s Literary Awards have been instrumental in recognizing many of Canada’s best authors, illustrators and translators. The result is impressive: between 1936 and 2017, 705 titles have been recognized with this prestigious award.

With careful attention to detail, Andrew Irvine presents the history and evolution of the Awards and extols their importance for the careers of authors, illustrators and translators, as well as for the development of Canada’s national literature.

The heart of the book contains the first comprehensive bibliography of the awards, including the first list of winning books organized according to their historically correct award categories; information about five books wrongly omitted from previous lists of winning titles; detailed information about award ceremonies, film adaptations and jury members; and other key information.

This is a seminal work that belongs on the shelf of every scholar and every lover of Canadian literature.

Published in English.