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The Giller Prize (formerly the Scotiabank Giller Prize) is one of Canada's most prestigious literary prizes. The monetary prize is awarded every November to an English Canadian novel or short-story collection.
Past winners include internationally-acclaimed authors such as Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, Madeleine Thien, Austin Clarke and Mordecai Richler. Winning authors frequently become members of the jury in subsequent years.
History of the Giller Prize
The Giller Prize literary award was established in 1994 by Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller. Each year, the prize winner was awarded $25,000. The original bronze Giller Prize trophy was designed by Greek-born Canadian artist Yehouda Chaki, a long-time friend of the Rabinovitch family. It was awarded from 1994 until 2004. The trophy is now redesigned each year by Toronto-based designer and custom architectural manufacturer Soheil Mosun Limited (SML).
Public interest in the award is heightened by the "Guess the Giller" contest promoted through public libraries across the country. The glamour associated with the award is further enhanced by its presentation at a lavish dinner and star-studded gala, live streamed online and broadcast on national television by the CBC, the Giller Prize’s exclusive media partner.
Eligible books are nominated by publishers and then short-listed and ranked by a celebrity panel of prestigious judges. The juror panel, originally composed of three members, was expanded to five jurors in 2015. Past juries have been composed of such well-known Canadian writers as Margaret Atwood, Alistair MacLeod, David Adams Richards, and M. G. Vassanji, who himself won the first Giller Prize in 1994. Other past winners include Alice Munro, Mordecai Richler, and Rohinton Mistry.
Involvement with Scotiabank
Scotiabank became the main sponsor of the Giller Prize in 2005. As of 2014, prizing increased to $140,000, with $100,000 going to the winner and $10,000 to each shortlist finalist, making the Giller Prize the most lucrative literary prize in the country.
On 3 February 2025, the Giller Foundation announced that it officially severed all ties with Scotiabank without formally addressing the reasons for the split. Their contract was due to expire at the end of the same year.
See also Giller Prize Winners.
