Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, November 15, 2011 – Get ready to read the 2011 GG winners! The Canada Council for the Arts today announced the 14 winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards, worth $25,000 each.
“The 2011 GG-winning books reflect the diversity and depth of contemporary Canadian literature,” said Robert Sirman, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. “With the hundreds of other great books that have won Canada’s national literary award over the past 75 years, they represent pure gold for Canadian creative excellence.”
The names of the winners and titles of their works are listed below, together with peer assessment committee members’ comments for each work. Biographical information and downloadable photos of the winners and book covers are posted on the Canada Council’s website. The seven English and seven French awards are given to authors, illustrators and translators in the categories of fiction, poetry, drama, non fiction, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation.
The Canada Council funds, administers and promotes the Governor General’s Literary Awards, Canada’s oldest and most prestigious awards for English- and French-language Canadian literature. In addition to the monetary award, each winner will receive a specially-bound copy of the winning book, created by Montreal bookbinder Lise Dubois. The publisher of each winning book receives $3,000 to support promotional activities. Non winning finalists receive $1,000 in recognition of their selection as finalists, bringing the total value of the awards to approximately $450,000.
His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will present the Awards on Thursday, November 24 at 6 p.m. at Rideau Hall.
Winners
Drama
Erin Shields, Toronto, If We Were Birds
(Playwrights Canada Press; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
If We Were Birds is a bold and brilliant retelling of a classical myth. The language is poetic and contemporary. Erin Shields creates a haunting and viscerally impactful play about the sexual politics of war. She invites us into a world of complicated family relationships, dangerous sexuality, revenge and fierce loyalty.
Normand Chaurette, Montreal, Ce qui meurt en dernier
(Leméac Éditeur / Actes Sud; distributed by Socadis)
With Ce qui meurt en dernier, Normand Chaurette creates disturbing and mysterious moods in a polished, chiselled language. His almost surgical style paints the portrait of a woman who struggles with her desire to please. The beauty of the writing serves the play’s thesis wonderfully.
2011-11-15
Toronto: Winners of the 75th Governor General’s Literary Awards for Drama announced