What do the Giller Prize and KWF have in common?

“This year’s Giller Prize longlist was chosen by a jury of independent Canadian booksellers: professional readers who, like the writers whose work they selected, live and work in communities across Canada. These stories take place in both rural hamlets and big cities; from the shores of Prince Edward Island to the expanse of the Prairies to the landscapes of British Columbia; from the seventeenth century to the present day – and beyond our borders and conventional notions of time and space. These authors grapple with our collective history with humour, openness, and compassion, fearlessly chronicling our challenges, our tragedies and our triumphs. Canada is a collection of people and places such as these. And at a time when our nation’s cultural identity is being tested, it is more important than ever to write, read, and reflect on our stories.”

And so the longlist for this year’s Giller Prize is announced!

Included on that list are authors who will be appearing at Kingston WritersFest this year:

• Patricia Finn for her novel The Golden Boy, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
• Tara Gereaux for her novel Wild People Quiet, published by Scribner Canada
• Michelle Good for her novel Eliza Sunshine, published by Random House Canada
• Wayne Johnston for his novel The Novice of Holloway Hall, published by Knopf Canada
• Colin McAdam for his novel Daphnis and Chloe, published by Biblioasis