Here's the Giller longlist, the first one they've ever made public (my take below):
David Adams Richards for his novel The Friends of Meager Fortune
Caroline Adderson for her novel Pleased to Meet You [short stories, actually...]
Todd Babiak for his novel The Garneau Block
Randy Boyagoda for his novel Governor of the Northern Province
Douglas Coupland for his novel jPod [ahem]
Alan Cumyn for his novel The Famished Lover
Rawi Hage for his novel De Niro's Game
Kenneth J Harvey for his novel Inside
Wayne Johnston for his novel The Custodian of Paradise
Vincent Lam for his collection of short stories Bloodletting and
Other Cures
Annette Lapointe for her novel Stolen
Pascale Quiviger for her novel The Perfect Circle
Gaétan Soucy for his novel The Immaculate Conception
Russell Wangersky for his short story collection, The Hour of Bad
Decisions
Carol Windley for her short story collection, Home Schooling
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Congratulations to all the longlisters; it's an honour just to be nominated, etc....
Here's my take: Possibly the most eclectic and interesting list ever associated with the Giller Prize, but that may all be for naught if the shortlist is a return to form.
Richards and Johnston are the only sure things for the shortlist, with maybe Alan Cumyn (his novel is set during WWI, which is catnip to a Giller jury). Also possible are the Boyagoda and the Hage. Harvey's book is a really good read, but I bet Caroline Adderson or Vincent Lam get on there before him.
Coupland, no (too hip for the room); Babiak, probably not; the books in translation, no.
All of this may occur completely organically, but I wonder if the Gillers have been internalizing some of the mumuring that, between it and the GG, the Giller has become the less interesting book award.
On the other hand, this will be the first year I get to actually go to the ceremony, so I say Huzzah! to the Giller Prize jury and to the good people who administer it.
[UPDATE: Can't get more wrong than this. See here.]
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A very subtle and funny writer - one I've become obsessed with over the past year - in a decidedly Muriel Spark mood. Imagine The Pr...
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A very crafty idea. Now when the inevitable Random-group author wins (Richards has his already, so I guess Johnson is next in line), the Giller can point to the diversity of their long list.
Nobody buys Giller winners any more anyway.
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