Overview
- The Giller Prize announced its five-novel shortlist Monday, naming Michelle Good, Nicholas Herring, Nazanine Hozar, Tara Gereaux and Patmeena Sabit as finalists.
- For the first time a nine-member jury made up only of independent booksellers from seven provinces and one territory chose the list, marking a deliberate shift from panels that were previously dominated by authors.
- The shortlisted books address themes such as colonial trauma, migration, identity and conflict, with the jury offering specific praise for works including Herring’s ‘uproarious, undeniably Maritime’ tale and Hozar’s depiction of children caught in wartime.
- The Giller remains Canada’s largest fiction prize, awarding $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each finalist, and the winner will be revealed at a Toronto gala hosted by Rick Mercer that will air on CBC on Nov. 16, 2026.
- Michelle Good is the only finalist with prior national award recognition and publishers and booksellers say Giller shortlisting typically raises an author’s national profile and drives sales for the selected books.