Nice to See Friends on the Scotia Bank/Giller Prize

The Long List for the Scotia Bank Giller prize has been announced, and I'm pleased to see several friends featured. Genni Gunn, with whom I worked several years on the Writers' Union of Canada's board, gets a nod for Solitaria, while David Homel's translatioan of Dany Laferrière's The Return (L'enigme du retour, in French) is included, too. But the nicest thing is to see Clarke Blaise's nominiaton for his short story collection The Meagre Tarmac. Many years ago he was the first writer to encourage my work, making several excellent suggestions about how to improve my first novelThe Descent of Andrew McPherson, and then how to market it. I've been very grateful ever since.

Here;s the entire list:

David Bezmozgis for his novel THE FREE WORLD, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Clarke Blaise for his short story collection THE MEAGRE TARMAC, Biblioasis

Lynn Coady for her novel THE ANTAGONIST, House of Anansi Press

Michael Christie for his short story collection THE BEGGAR’S GARDEN, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Patrick DeWitt for his novel THE SISTERS BROTHERS, House of Anansi Press

*Myrna Dey for her novel EXTENSIONS, NeWest Press

Esi Edugyan for her novel HALF-BLOOD BLUES, Thomas Allen Publishers

Marina Endicott for her novel THE LITTLE SHADOWS, Doubleday Canada

Zsuzsi Gartner for her short story collection BETTER LIVING THROUGH PLASTIC EXPLOSIVES, Hamish Hamilton Canada

Genni Gunn for her novel SOLITARIA, Signature Editions

Pauline Holdstock for her novel INTO THE HEART OF THE COUNTRY, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Wayne Johnston for his novel A WORLD ELSEWHERE, Knopf Canada

Dany Laferrière for his novel THE RETURN (translation, David Homel), Douglas & McIntyre

Suzette Mayr for her novel MONOCEROS, Coach House Books

Michael Ondaatje for his novel THE CAT’S TABLE, McClelland & Stewart

Guy Vanderhaeghe for his novel A GOOD MAN, McClelland & Stewart

Alexi Zentner for his novel TOUCH, Knopf Canada