Giller Prize 2026 longlist includes Newfoundland’s Wayne Johnston and 13 other authors
The 2026 Giller Prize longlist has been announced, featuring 14 Canadian authors including veteran novelist Wayne Johnston. This year's jury panel marks a departure from tradition by consisting entirely of independent booksellers rather than authors.
Why it matters
As Canada's richest fiction award, the Giller Prize significantly influences the literary market and highlights the current state of Canadian creative writing.
Elana Rabinovitch the Executive Director of Giller Prize stands on stage during the awards ceremony in Toronto, Nov. 18, 2024. Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Nine newcomers and a couple of usual suspects made the longlist of 14 authors nominated for this year’s Giller Prize. The $100,000 award is the country’s richest for fiction.
The most familiar name is Newfoundland’s Wayne Johnston, who finds himself longlisted for the sixth time. His novel The Novice of Holloway Hall is billed by publisher Knopf Canada as a “boisterous, sweeping tragicomic saga of faith, loyalty and family secrets that refuse to stay buried.”
Mr. Johnston is now tied with past Giller-winner David Bergen for the most longlist nominations in the 32-year history of the prize.
Newfoundland author Wayne Johnston is among 14 authors longlisted for the 2026 Giller Prize. Rose Langhout/Supplied
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