Meet the five novelists shortlisted for the 2026 Giller Prize
The 2026 Giller Prize shortlist features five diverse novelists, selected by a jury composed entirely of independent booksellers. The nominees include established authors and first-time writers covering themes ranging from historical tragedy to contemporary fiction.
Why it matters
The Giller Prize is Canada's most prestigious fiction award, and this year's jury composition marks a significant shift in how literary excellence is evaluated.
A fisherman from Prince Edward Island, a bestselling author born in Tehran, a Métis television and film writer, an Order of Canada member from Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and a Kabul-born first-time novelist who took 10 years creating her book are the shortlisted novelists for the 2026 Giller Prize.
They were considered by a jury which for the first time was not made up of mostly authors. The nine-member panel is composed exclusively of owners, managers and staffers from independent Canadian booksellers representing seven provinces and one territory.
Established in 1994 by Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch , the $100,000 award is the country’s richest for fiction.
Author Michelle Good. Silken Selinger/Supplied
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