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Discover the 2025 Governor General's Literary Awards Finalists

The Canada Council for the Arts is thrilled to reveal the finalists for the highly esteemed 2025 Governor General's Literary Awards (GGBooks). This annual event honors remarkable literary works published in Canada, showcasing those created in both of the country’s official languages. The awards celebrate an assortment of genres and styles, highlighting books that resonate with readers of all ages.

Championing Canadian Voices

Michelle Chawla, the Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts, expressed the importance of the selected works:

"The books chosen as finalists for the 2025 Governor General's Literary Awards inspire readers, urging them to dream, discover, and delve into enchanting narratives. These pieces provide unique viewpoints on Canada and the globe, fostering connections among individuals, building communities, and envisioning a brighter future for all. We are honored to celebrate the diverse Canadian voices found within these remarkable literary creations."

The Finalists Selection Process

This year, an extensive selection process led by peer assessment committees has brought together 70 outstanding titles. These works have been carefully selected for their literary merit from books published in the previous year. The GGBooks are revered as some of the most prestigious literary accolades in Canada, having been established in 1936. With a total prize pool of $450,000 annually, the awards have seen consistent support from the Canada Council for the Arts since 1959.

Finalists are categorized by genre and language, with seven peer committees deliberating over the selections for both English and French submissions. The evaluation process for this year considered titles published between August 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. The award-winning writers, translators, and illustrators will each receive a $25,000 prize, while the publishers of winning books receive $3,000 to help promote their titles. Each finalist will also be awarded $1,000.

Categories and Finalists: English Language

Here’s a glimpse of this year’s finalists in various categories:

Fiction

• - Endling by Maria Reva
• - Hi, It's Me by Fawn Parker
• - Juiceboxers by Benjamin Hertwig
• - real ones by katherena vermette
• - Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards

Poetry

• - 1010 by Michael Trussler
• - Dante's Inferno: A New Translation by Lorna Goodison
• - Island by Douglas Walbourne-Gough
• - Shadow Price by Farah Ghafoor
• - Wellwater by Karen Solie

Drama

• - Downed Hearts by Catherine Banks
• - Fall on Your Knees by Alisa Palmer & Hannah Moscovitch
• - Little Pretty and The Exceptional by Anusree Roy
• - Rise, Red River by Tara Beagan
• - The Ministry of Grace by Tara Beagan

Non-fiction

• - All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey by Teresa Wong
• - How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameron
• - Searching for Serafim by Ruby Smith Dίaz
• - The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse by Vinh Nguyen
• - What to Feel, How to Feel by Shane Neilson

Young People's Literature – Text

• - A Drop in the Ocean by Léa Taranto
• - Beast by Richard Van Camp
• - Best of all Worlds by Kenneth Oppel
• - The Outsmarters by Deborah Ellis
• - Tig by Heather Smith

Categories and Finalists: French Language

In the French language categories, finalists include:

Fiction

• - Femmes silencieuses by Cristina Vanciu
• - Je mets mes rêves sur la table by Martina Chumova
• - Les déterrées by Katia Belkhodja
• - Rapines by Patrice Lessard
• - Une histoire silencieuse by Alexandra Boilard-Lefebvre

Poetry

• - Aller aux corps by Laurence Veilleux
• - Au passage du fleuve by Paul Chanel Malenfant
• - Comparution by Angelina Guo
• - Les sutures by Catherine Harton
• - Mourir est beau by Stéphane Martelly

Drama

• - Awards by Maxime Brillon
• - Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés by Éric Noël
• - Fanny by Rébecca Déraspe
• - La vengeance et l'oubli by Olivier Kemeid
• - Paysages by Danièle LeBlanc

Non-fiction

• - Faire que! L'engagement politique à l'ère de l'inouï by Alain Deneault
• - Mourir de froid, c'est beau, c'est long, c'est délicieux by Nathalie Plaat
• - Recueillir by Louise Warren
• - Soigner, écrire by Ouanessa Younsi
• - Tu viens d'où? Réflexions sur le métissage et les frontières by Maïka Sondarjee

Upcoming Announcement

The winners of the 14 categories will be disclosed on November 6, 2025. For further details, please visit ggbooks.ca.

About the Canada Council for the Arts

The aim of the Canada Council for the Arts is to nurture and promote the exploration and appreciation of artistic and literary works in Canada. Through a variety of grants, services, prizes, and initiatives, this council supports a thriving and diverse landscape for the arts and literature, fostering a significant economic, cultural, and social impact across thousands of communities nationally and internationally.