News Releases - 2004
The Canada Council for the Arts announces the winners of the 2004 Governor General’s Literary Awards (fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction and translation)
Ottawa, November 16, 2004 –The Canada Council for the Arts announced today the names of the winners of the 2004 Governor General’s Literary Awards, in English and in French, in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama and translation.
The winners were announced by John Hobday, Director and Simon Brault, Vice-Chair, of the Canada Council, at a news conference in Ottawa. They will be presented with their awards by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, at a ceremony at Rideau Hall at 6 p.m. today.
The Canada Council for the Arts funds, administers and promotes the Governor General’s Literary Awards. Each laureate will receive a cheque for $15,000 and a specially-crafted copy of the winning book bound by master bookbinder Pierre Ouvrard. The Governor General will also present certificates to the publishers of the winning books, and the Canada Council will provide each publisher with a $3,000 grant to support promotional activities for the winning book.
“The writers we’re honouring this year haven’t done all this remarkable work—sounding the depths of reality, wrestling with the agonies of artistic creation—in order to win a prize,” said the Governor General. “For them, writing itself is the passion and the prize. It’s something that they simply have to do. On behalf of all Canadians, I thank them for leading us into new worlds, heightening awareness of ourselves and our condition, through their works.”
“This is not only a celebration of literary achievement; it is also a celebration of the joy of reading and the power of the written word,” said Canada Council Director John Hobday. “All Canadians can share in this celebration by reading these outstanding books and becoming better acquainted with the authors who created them.”
“This year marks BMO Financial Group’s 18th consecutive year as principal sponsor of the Governor General’s Literary Awards,” said Gilles Ouellette, President and CEO, Private Client Group and Deputy Chairman, BMO Nesbitt Burns. “We are pleased to support these awards which celebrate outstanding achievement in Canadian literature. Our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners.”
On Monday, Nov. 15, the Governor General presented awards to the four winners of the children’s literature categories: Kenneth Oppel (English-language text), Nicole Leroux (French-language text), Stéphane Jorisch (English-language illustration) and Janice Nadeau (French-language illustration).
The names of the winners in the other categories and titles of their works are listed below, together with jury citations for each work. Biographical information and downloadable images are posted on the Canada Council’s web site.
>> Book covers
Fiction
Miriam Toews, Winnipeg, for A Complicated Kindness
(Alfred A. Knopf Canada; distributed by Random House of Canada)
(ISBN 0-676-97612-3)
Toews’ voice is electrifying, exciting and exact. Her Nomi, a wannabe hip New Yorker in a small town that seems allergic to desire, is hilariously cynical and sweetly compassionate. An unforgettable coming-of-age story, this novel is melancholic and hopeful, as beautifully complicated as life itself.
Pascale Quiviger, Chiusdino, Italy (formerly of Montreal), for Le cercle parfait
(Les éditions de L’instant même; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
(ISBN 2-89502-190-2)
There is no distinction between the self and the world in Le cercle parfait - no room for the passion of love. This moving story of two people separated by an ocean is told in writing that is quite magical.
Poetry
Roo Borson, Toronto, for Short Journey Upriver Toward Ōishida
(McClelland & Stewart; distributed by Random House of Canada)
(ISBN 0-7710-1591-7)
These poems invite the reader to embark upon a contemplative journey full of imaginative encounters with death, love, beauty, creativity and the mystery of the physical world. This beautifully-crafted book is an organic whole that resonates on profound spiritual levels, juxtaposing the mundane with notions of transcendence.
André Brochu, Montreal, for Les jours à vif
(Éditions Trois; distributed by Diffusion Prologue)
(ISBN 2-89516-063-5)
Like the rumble of thunder, the poems of André Brochu create a festive world that does not deny the shadows. The clatter of the poem is a response to the noise of the world. In the tender, ironic voice of Brochu, the world is presented in all its tonalities.
Drama
Morris Panych, Vancouver, for Girl in the Goldfish Bowl
(Talonbooks; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
(ISBN 0-88922-481-1)
A rich and poignant comedy, Panych masterfully crafts a wildly hilarious and deeply affecting tale about the death of childhood, innocence and fish. Metaphorical, imaginative, profoundly complex – Girl in the Goldfish Bowl makes you laugh from its hysterical beginnings to its heart-breaking conclusion.
Emma Haché, Montreal, for L’intimité
(Lansman Éditeur; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
(ISBN 2-87282-426-X)
Through two characters stunned by old sorrows, Emma Haché gives us a work of exceptional and disturbing intensity. A game of cruelty that is supposed to be a game of love is played out amidst tragic stagnation. A savage current runs through this mysterious and profound play that reveals the creator of a fascinating universe.
Nonfiction
Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire, Quebec City, for Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
(Random House Canada; distributed by Random House of Canada)
(ISBN 0-679-31171-8, bound / ISBN 0-679-31172-6, paperback)
An essential book that, in speaking of the Rwandan tragedy, points to some of our greatest failings as a civilized society. Out of his own experience, Roméo Dallaire has written a brave cautionary tale for our hard and selfish times.
Jean-Jacques Simard, Quebec City, for La Réduction : l’Autochtone inventé et les Amérindiens d’aujourd’hui
(Les éditions du Septentrion; distributed by Diffusion Dimedia)
(ISBN 2-89448-368-6)
This brilliant, incisive and inspired book challenges both prevailing currents of thought about White/Aboriginal relations and government policies and programs aimed at correcting embarrassing social inequities. It also challenges the processes of anthropology, the spirit of charters and jurisprudence, popular perceptions, and certain attitudes and practices of Aboriginal peoples themselves.
Translation
Judith Cowan, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, for Mirabel
(Véhicule Press; distributed by LitDistCo)
(ISBN 1-55065-191-9)
English translation of Lignes aériennes, by Pierre Nepveu (Éditions du Noroît)
Judith Cowan's translation captures the tone of the original with admirable elegance. This is particularly evident in her management of the voice shifts that compose this complex poem. Cowan successfully conveys the haunting musicality of Pierre Nepveu's sensitive and deeply personalized poetry. It is a moving tribute to the tragedy of Mirabel.
Ivan Steenhout, Racine, Quebec, for Les Indes accidentelles
(Éditions de la Pleine Lune; distributed by Diffusion Prologue)
(ISBN 2-89024-161-0)
French translation of The Accidental Indies by Robert Finley (McGill-Queen’s University Press)
A meditation on Christopher Columbus, the poetic prose of this book evokes the life’s journey of the great navigator, from early childhood to his discovery of Hispaniola. By reproducing all the stylistic inventions of the author, the translator has masterfully rendered this prose poem filled with historical detail and the magnificent vocabulary of sailing ships and the sea. He makes us actually hear the intertwining voices of this dream-like tale.
The juries
The winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards are chosen by independent juries in each category (seven English and seven French), appointed by the Canada Council. The juries, which meet separately, consider all eligible books published between September 1, 2003 and September 30, 2004 for English-language books and between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004 for French-language books. This year, a total of 1,465 titles, 830 in the English-language categories and 635 in the French-language categories, were submitted.
English-language juries
Fiction: Lynn Crosbie (Toronto), Kathy Page (Salt Spring Island, BC)
Poetry: Robert Bringhurst (Heriot Bay/Quadra Island, BC), Rishma Dunlop (Toronto), Russell Thornton (North Vancouver)
Drama: Lorena Gale (Vancouver), Wendy Lill (Dartmouth), Mansel Robinson (Chapleau, ON)
Nonfiction: Sandra Djwa (West Vancouver), Ernest Hillen (Cambridge, ON), Alberto Manguel (Mondion, France)
Children’s Literature – Text: David Bouchard (Victoria), Joan Clark (St. John’s), Perry Nodelman (Winnipeg)
Children’s Literature – Illustration: Brian Deines (Toronto), Karen Reczuch (Acton, ON), Judith Saltman (Vancouver)
Translation: E.D. Blodgett (Edmonton), Patricia Claxton (Montreal), Jane Koustas (St. Catharines, ON)
French-language juries
Fiction: Marie-Claire Blais (Montreal), France Daigle (Moncton), Pierre Yergeau (Saint-Lin-Laurentides, QC)
Poetry: Joël Des Rosiers (Laval), Hélène Dorion (Saint-Hippolyte, QC), Marie Savard (Montreal)
Drama: Lise Castonguay (Quebec City), Marie-Christine Lê-Huu (Montreal), Michel Ouellette (Gatineau)
Nonfiction: Gérard Bouchard (Saguenay), François-Marc Gagnon (Montreal), Lucie Joubert (Ottawa)
Children’s Literature – Text: Françoise Enguehard (St. John’s), Francine Pelletier (Lévis, QC), Jean-Michel Schembré (Quebec City)
Children’s Literature – Illustration: Frédéric Back (Montreal), Édith Bourget (Saint-Jacques, NB), Annouchka Gravel Galouchko (Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC)
Translation: Nicole Côté (Regina), Jean Delisle (Gatineau, QC), Jean-Paul Partensky (Montreal)
Awards presentation
The 2004 Awards will be presented at Rideau Hall (the residence of the Governor General of Canada in Ottawa) by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, this evening, Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. Media representatives wishing to cover the ceremony should contact Marilyne Guèvremont at the Rideau Hall Press Office, (613) 998-7280. A reception and dinner in honour of the laureates will be held following the ceremony (by invitation only).
Special recognition
The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Peter Milliken, will recognize the laureates in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Nov. 17, immediately following Question Period.
Reading at Library and Archives Canada
For the 13th consecutive year, Library and Archives Canada will invite all the winners to read from their works on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. For information about the reading or to purchase tickets contact Library and Archives Canada at (613) 992-9988.
Corporate sponsors
The Canada Council for the Arts thanks BMO Financial Group for its generous contribution to the Governor General’s Literary Awards for the 18th consecutive year. BMO’s participation has made it possible for the Council to promote the Awards more extensively, thus increasing sales and public awareness of the winners and their works. The Fairmont Château Laurier is the official hotel of the Governor General’s Literary Awards.
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Tous les documents du Conseil des Arts du Canada sont disponibles en français et en anglais.
Interviews with authors:
Ontario (outside Ottawa), Atlantic Provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Territories
Diane Hargrave
(416) 467-9954
dhprbks@interlog.com
Ottawa:
Jennifer Tiller
(613) 237-4320
Quebec (English-language):
Rita Schaffer
(514) 937-1039
Manitoba:
Rita Kurtz
(204) 474-1880
British Columbia:
Margaret MacKinnon-Cash
(604) 733-9447
Rideau Hall Press Office:
Marilyne Guèvremont
(613) 998-7280
mguevremont@gg.ca