$100K Giller Prize announces 5-title shortlist for 2026
The Giller Prize has announced its five-title shortlist for the 2026 Canadian fiction award, featuring a diverse range of novels. The winner will be revealed during a televised ceremony on November 16 hosted by Rick Mercer.
Why it matters
The Giller Prize is one of Canada's most prestigious literary awards, significantly impacting the visibility and sales of Canadian authors.
The $100,000 award annually recognizes the best in Canadian fiction.
The 2026 shortlist features five novels, covering a wide range of material, from a historical fiction set in 1940s Saskatchewan (Gereaux's Wild People Quiet ) to a contemporary story about a road trip from New Brunswick to Toronto (Herring's Your Breath in Charcoal ) and a harrowing novel about child soldiers in the Iran-Iraq war (Hozar's The Small Ones ).
Good, on the list for Eliza Sunshine, is the only author on the shortlist who has previously been recognized by the Giller Prize. Her debut novel, Five Little Indians, was on the 2020 longlist and won Canada Reads in 2022 .
Unlike the other shortlisted authors who have had books published before, Sabit is a finalist for her debut work of fiction, Good People.
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