Five B.C. authors make the 2024 longlist for the $100,000 Giller Prize

The Giller Foundation drops “Scotiabank” from prize’s title

FIVE B.C. AUTHORS have made the longlist for the 2024 $100,000 Giller Prize.

Of the 12 writers who were named finalists, Victoria’s Anne Fleming has made the longlist for her historical novel Curiosities while Abbotsford queer trans author Loghan Paylor has been included for their novel The Cure for Drowning. Both of the books speak to gender and sexuality.

Vancouver’s Caroline Adderson is a contender for her short story collection A Way to Be Happy and Shashi Bhat, who teaches writing at Douglas College, made the list for her story collection Death by a Thousand Cuts. Kelowna’s Corinna Chong is also in the running with her novel Bad Land.

Fleming, Adderson, and Bhat are appearing at the 2024 Vancouver Writers Fest.

The other authors to be nominated are Éric Chacour for What I Know About You, translated by Pablo Strauss; Deepa Rajagopalan for Peacocks of Instagram; Conor Kerr for Prairie Edge; Claire Messud for This Strange Eventful History; Anne Michaels for Held; Jane Urquhart for In Winter I Get Up at Night; and katherena vermette for real ones.

Scotiabank remains the lead sponsor of the award, but the prize’s new name—which no longer has “Scotiabank” in it—came about following a protest during the 2023 televised event over the bank’s investment in an Israeli weapons manufacturer. Ever since, many literary talents have expressed their desire for the Giller Foundation to terminate its 20-year partnership with Scotiabank because of its ties to Israeli interests. The two international judges on this year’s five-member jury resigned from their positions this past summer while many writers have withdrawn their names from consideration for the prize.

The 2024 shortlist will be announced on October 9 and the winner will be announced on November 18.

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Gail Johnson

Gail Johnson is cofounder of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.

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