2024 Governor General’s Finalists
October 08th, 2024
This year, seven BC-based authors made it to the shortlist of the Governor General’s Literary Awards within four categories. The winning books will be announced on November 13, 2024. Keep reading to learn more about the finalists and their work.
Poetry
Indigiqueer Saulteaux, Cree, and Métis author Brandi Bird’s (at right) debut book, The All + Flesh (House of Anansi Press $19.99) delves into themes of health, language, place and memory, linking the poet to their kin, ancestors, and land. The poems challenge and unravel the binaries within relationships, aiming to envision decolonial futures. Bird reflects on how language, especially English, shapes inner and outer landscapes, focusing on the “I” of self—an identity disconnected from Indigenous languages and homelands. Through their exploration of personal and cultural landscapes, Bird highlights their Saulteaux, Cree, and Métis heritage, and how these identities influence their present self. The collection also examines the physical and emotional hunger tied to personal and ancestral histories.
Bradley Peters
Bradley Peters’ debut, Sonnets from a Cell (Brick Books $22.95), blends inmate speech, prison psychology, skateboard slang, and modern lyricism to create poetry that is both tough and tender. These poems, set in varied locations like riots, mall parkades and churches, explore Peters’ own experiences of feeling trapped between the past and an uncertain future, while critiquing systems that condemn so many to loss. Written from the perspective of someone familiar with the Canadian prison system, the collection serves as both a personal reflection and a sharp critique of violence, capitalism and patriarchy in contemporary society.
Non-fiction
Danny Ramadan
In Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir (Viking $26.95), Danny Ramadan, a queer Syrian refugee, reflects on a life spent feeling out of place. The memoir begins with Ramadan acknowledging the challenge of revealing his personal story after using fiction as a shield. He revisits his past, from his family’s modest beginnings in Damascus to navigating the underground queer community, enduring imprisonment, and experiencing the Arab Spring. The journey spans Cairo, Beirut, and Vancouver, highlighting both hardships and moments of joy. Ramadan’s account resists simplified refugee narratives, offering a nuanced, intimate look at his life, filled with complexity, resilience, and love.
Helen Knott
Becoming a Matriarch (Vintage/Penguin Random House $23.00), Helen Knott’s highly anticipated second book, delves into the profound challenges of grief, love, and legacy following the deaths of her mother and grandmother within a short span of time. Building on the success of her debut, In My Own Moccasins, Knott reflects on the intricate balance between matriarchy, martyrdom, and codependency; while coming to terms with the need to let go of both the women who shaped her and her own past identity. Through poetic insights, humor, and heartfelt storytelling, the memoir explores themes of mourning, sobriety, and intergenerational healing, set against the backdrop of Dane Zaa territory and beyond. Ultimately, it is a journey of transformation and understanding what it means to truly become a matriarch. In a Twitter post, Knott wrote this about her Governor General’s Award nomination: “Found out this morning that my book is a Governor General’s finalist, surreal. 20-year-old me who had dropped out of school and was a single mom and a janitor would be so proud of us right now. We made it little mama.”
Young People’s Literature – Text
Shari Green
Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams (Andrews McMeel Publishing $22.99) by Shari Green is a historical YA novel in verse that follows a young pianist in East Germany during the tumultuous months leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980s. The protagonist grapples with love, duty and the pursuit of dreams amid political protests. Through lyrical and poignant verse, the novel explores themes of friendship, first love, and the difficult choices between integrity, family, and friends. Ultimately, it is a powerful story of hope, courage, and the transformative and life-saving power of music.
Li Charmaine Anne
Li Charmaine Anne’s debut YA novel, Crash Landing (Annick Press $18.99) is a powerful exploration of queer identity, immigrant experiences and the journey of self-discovery with the support of friends. Set in the summer of 2010, Jay Wong is a senior struggling to find excitement in her life when she meets Ash Chan, a confident and fearless skateboarder who embodies everything Jay wishes she could be. As Jay films Ash for a skate contest, she discovers a side of Vancouver she’s never known, challenging the expectations placed on her. As their friendship teeters on the edge of something more, Jay is determined to uncover Ash’s secret while navigating her own choices about identity, the future, and who she wants to become.
Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
Adam de Souza
Written by comic artist Adam de Souza, The Gulf (Tundra Books $25.99), is a YA graphic novel that follows a group of teens nearing the end of high school, when they run away to join a remote island commune, seeking escape from the pressures of adulthood. Oli has been fixated on the commune since childhood, and her frustration with career expectations, along with a falling out with her best friend and a confrontation with a bully, pushes her to flee. Oli is accompanied by Milo, who hides behind his video camera, Alvin, a shy observer, and Liam, Oli’s ex-best friend and occasional love interest, who wants to make amends. Together, they embark on a road trip, grappling with their identities and searching for a sense of belonging. This anti-coming-of-age adventure captures the humor and angst of teen life during a time of transition.
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ABOUT THE AWARD
Established in 1936, the Governor General’s Literary Awards promote and celebrate literature by Canadian authors, recognizing the best English-language and French-language books in the following seven categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature – Text, Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books, and Translation. 14 winners will receive prizes of $25,000 and a $3,000 grant to each publisher, while each finalist will receive $1,000 per book.
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