Governor General’s Literary Awards (Fiction) Winners and Finalists: 1936 – Present
The Governor General’s Literary Awards are awarded annually in seven categories, in both French and English. Below, I have listed all the awards in the fiction category since 1936. Beginning in 1979, I have also included the short lists for this award. For more information about this prize, visit the official website.
Books I’ve read are highlighted in Blue – follow links to my reviews
2011
The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt – WINNER
Half-Blood Blues, by Esi Edugyan
The Free World, by David Bezmozgis
The Little Shadows, by Marina Endicott
Touch, by Alexi Zentner
2010
Cool Water, by Dianne Warren - WINNER – read my review
Room, by Emma Donaghue – read my review
Waiting for Joe, by Sandra Birdsell
Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, by Drew Hayden Taylor
Annabel, by Kathleen Winter
2009
The Mistress of Nothing, Kate Pullinger – WINNER
Galore, by Michael Crummey – read my review
The Golden Mean, by Annabel Lyon
Too Much Happiness, by Alice Munro
Vanishing and Other Stories, by Deborah Willis
2008
The Origin of Species, by Nino Ricci – WINNER
Atmospheric Disturbances, by Rivka Galchen
Cockroach, by Rawi Hage
The Last Highway, by David Adams Richards
The Great Karoo, by Fred Stenson
2007
Divisadero, by Michael Ondaatje – WINNER
Soucouyant, by David Chariandy
Helpless, by Barbara Gowdy
Lullabies for Little Criminals, by Heather O’Neill
The Assassin’s Song, by M.G. Vassanji
2006
The Law of Dreams, by Peter Behrens – WINNER
The Fearsome Particles, by Trevor Cole
Gargoyles, by Bill Gaston
The Dodecahedron (Frame of Frames), by Paul Glennon
De Niro’s Game, by Rawi Hage
2005
A Perfect Night to Go to China, by David Gilmour – WINNER
Three Day Road, by Joseph Boyden
Nellcott Is My Darling, by Golda Fried
Alphabet, by Kathy Page
2004
A Complicated Kindness, by Miriam Toews – WINNER
Natasha and Other Stories, by David Bezmozgis
Norman Bray, In the Performance of His Life, by Trevor Cole
Some Great Thing, by Colin McAdam
Runaway, by Alice Monroe
2003
Elle, by Douglas Glover – WINNER
Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood
Garbo Laughs, by Elizabeth Hay
Private View, by Jean McNeil
Ten Thousand Lovers, by Edeet Ravel
2002
A Song for Nettie Johnson, by Gloria Sawai – WINNER
The Case of Lena S., by David Bergen
Exile, by Ann Ireland
The Navigator of New York, by Wayne Johnston
Unless, by Carol Shields
2001
Clara Callan, by Richard B. Wright – WINNER
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel – read my review
Dragons Cry, by Tessa McWatt
The Stone Carvers, by Jane Urquhart
Salamander, by Thomas Wharton
2000
Anil’s Ghost, by Michael Ondaatje – WINNER
The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood – read my review
The Question, by Austin Clarke
Mercy Among The Children, by David Adams Richards
Monkey Beach, by Eden Robinson
1999
Elizabeth and After, by Matt Cohen – WINNER
The Worlds Within Her, by Neil Bissoondath
Pool-hopping And Other Stories, by Anne Fleming
Can You Wave Bye Bye, Baby?, by Elyse Gasco
Gloria, by Keith Maillard
1998
Forms of Devotion, by Diane Schoemperlen – WINNER
Strange Heaven, by Lynn Coady
The White Bone, by Barbara Gowdy
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston
The Electrical Field, by Kerri Sakamoto
1997
The Underpainter, by Jane Urquhart – WINNER
The Two-Headed Calf, by Sandra Birdsell
Last Seen, by Matt Cohen
Small Change, by Elizabeth Hay
First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, by Eric McCormack
1996
The Englishman’s Boy, by Guy Vanderhaeghe – WINNER
Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood – read my review
Let Me Be The One, by Elizabeth Harvor
The Green Library, by Janice Kulyk Keefer
Teaching Pigs To Sing, by Cordelia Strube
Coming Down From Wa, by Audrey Thomas
1995
The Roaring Girl, by Greg Hollingshead – WINNER
Highways and Dancehalls, by Diana Atkinson
Mister Sandman, by Barbara Gowdy
The Jaguar Temple, by Julie Keith
The Age of Longing, by Richard B. Wright
1994
A Discovery of Strangers, by Rudy Wiebe – WINNER
The Robber Bride, by Margaret Atwood – read my review
Division of Surgery, by Donna McFarlane
Open Secrets, by Alice Monroe
How Insensitive, by Russell Smith
1993
The Stone Diaries, by Carol Shields – WINNER
Bad Imaginings, by Caroline Adderson
Green Grass, Running Water, by Thomas King
For Those Who Hunt The Wounded Down, by David Adams Richards
Visible Light, by Carol Windley
1992
The English Patient, by Michael Ondaatje – WINNER
The Chrome Suite, by Sandra Birdsell
The Bonus Deal, by Archie Crail
The Afterlife of George Cartwright, by John Steffler
Deep Hollow Creek, by Sheila Watson
1991
Such a Long Journey, by Rohinton Mistry – WINNER
Wilderness Tips, by Margaret Atwood
Blue Husbands, by Don Dickinson
A Guide to Animal Behavior, by Douglas Glover
Quickening, by Terry Griggs
1990
Lives of the Saints, by Nino Ricci – WINNER
Disappearing Moon Cafe, by Sky Lee
Friend of my Youth, by Alice Monro
On Double Tracks, by Leslie Hall Pinder
Man of My Dreams, by Diane Schoemperlen
1989
Whale Music, by Paul Quarrington – WINNER
The Golden Thread, by Ann Copeland
A View From the Roof, by Helen Weinzweig
1988
Nights Below Station Street, by David Adams Richards – WINNER
Cat’s Eye, by Margaret Atwood – read my review
The Victory of Geraldine Gull, Joan Clark
Atmospheres Apollonaire, by Mark Frutkin
The Cost of Living, Kenneth Radu
1987
A Dream Like Mine, by M. T. Kelly – WINNER
The Ring Master, by David Gurr
Tales From Firozsha Baag, by Rohinton Mistry
In the Skin of a Lion, by Michael Ondaatje
Swann: A Mystery, by Carol Shields
1986
The Progress of Love, by Alice Munro – WINNER
A Stone Watermelon, by Lois Braun
Adult Entertainment, by John Metcalf
No Fixed Address, by Aritha van Herk
1985
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood – WINNER – read my review
Queen of the Headaches, by Sharon Butala
Foreign Affairs, by Keath Fraser
Road to the Stilt House, by David Adams Richards
1984
The Engineer of Human Souls, by Josef Skvorecky- WINNER
Not Wanted on the Voyage, by Timothy Findley
The Book of Fears, by Susan Kerslake
Intertidal Life, by Audrey Thomas
1983
Shakespeare’s Dog, by Leon Rooke – WINNER
People Like Us In A Place Like This, by Philip Kreiner
Painted Ladies, by H.R. Percy
The Biggest Modern Woman of the World, by Susan Swan
1982
Man Descending, by Guy Vanderhaege – WINNER
The Moons of Jupiter, by Alice Monro
Antichthon, by Chris Scott
1981
Home Truths: Selected Canadian Stories, by Mavis Gallant
1980
Burning Water, by George Bowering – WINNER
The Charcoal Burners, by Susan Musgrave
Fat Woman, by Leon Rooke
1979
The Resurrection of Joseph Bourne, by Jack Hodgins – WINNER
Life Before Man, by Margaret Atwood
The Sweet Second Summer of Kitty Malone, by Matt Cohen
1978
Who Do you Think You Are? by Alice Munro – WINNER
1977
The Wars, by Timothy Findley – WINNER
1976
Bear, by Marian Engel – WINNER
1975
The Great Victorian Collection, by Brian Moore – WINNER
1974
The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence – WINNER
1973
The Temptations of Big Bear, by Rudy Wiebe – WINNER
1972
The Manticore, by Robertson Davies – WINNER
1971
St. Urbain’s Horseman, by Mordecai Richler – WINNER
1970
The New Ancestors, by Dave Godfrey – WINNER
1969
The Studhorse Man, by Robert Kroetsch – WINNER
1968
Dance of the Happy Shades, by Alice Munro – WINNER
1967
No fiction award.
1966
A Jest of God, by Margaret Laurence – WINNER
1965
No fiction award.
1964
The Deserter, by Douglas LePan – WINNER
1963
Hugh Garner’s Best Stories, by Hugh Garner – WINNER
1962
Running to Paradise, by Kildare Dobbs – WINNER
1961
Hear Us O Lord from Heaven Thy Dwelling Place, by Malcolm Lowry – WINNER
1960
The Luck of Ginger Coffey, by Brian Moore – WINNER
1959
The Watch that Ends the Night, by Hugh MacLennan – WINNER
1958
Execution, by Colin McDougall – WINNER
1957
Street of Riches (trans.), by Gabrielle Roy – WINNER
1956
The Sacrifice, by Adele Wiseman – WINNER
1955
The Sixth of June, by Lionel Shapiro – WINNER
1954
The Fall of a Titan, by Igor Gouzenko – WINNER
1953
Digby, by David Walker – WINNER
1952
The Pillar, by David Walker – WINNER
1951
The Loved and the Lost, by Morley Callaghan – WINNER
1950
The Outlander (trans.), by Germaine Guèvremont – WINNER
1949
Mr. Ames Against Time, by Philip Child – WINNER
1948
The Precipice, by Hugh MacLennan – WINNER
1947
The Tin Flute (trans.), by Gabrielle Roy – WINNER
1946
Continental Revue, by Winifred Bambrick – WINNER
1945
Two Solitudes, by Hugh MacLennan – WINNER
1944
Earth and High Heaven, by Gwethalyn Graham – WINNER
1943
The Pied Piper of Dipper Creek, by Thomas H. Raddall – WINNER
1942
Little Man, by G. Herbert Sallans – WINNER
1941
Three Came to Ville Marie, by Alan Sullivan – WINNER
1940
Thirty Acres (translation), by Ringuet (pseud.) – WINNER
1939
The Champlain Road, by Franklin D. McDowell – WINNER
1938
Swiss Sonata, by Gwethalyn Graham – WINNER
1937
The Dark Weaver, by Laura G. Salverson – WINNER
1936
Think of The Earth, by Bertram Brooker – WINNER