The 2020 Giller Prize Longlist

The 2020 Giller Prize Longlist has been announced! 14 books were listed (I thought 12!) and I predicted four, well actually five, from the list! I left a spot open on my Predictions list for a graphic novel, and there was indeed one graphic novel nominated.

Clyde Fans by Seth was nominated and is winging its way to me from the library right now. I quickly threw a Hold on it as soon as the official announcement was made.

I own some of the others nominated so I can get down to reading those right away – Polar Vortex, Ridgerunner and Dominoes at the Crossroads.

I’ve already read Watching You Without Me by Lynn Coady last year – we read that for our book club. So with that one, I’ve now read three from the Longlist. Five Little Indians and How to Pronounce Knife were at the top of my predictions and I’m pleased to see them on the list!

I put the rest of the list on Hold at the library, but some of the titles (The Glass Hotel, The Pull of the Stars and Indians on Vacation have very long waiting lists, so I’ll probably have to buy those? But I may wait until the Shortlist announcement?)

This year the Prize celebrates its 27th anniversary. The longlist for the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize is:

• Gil Adamson, for her novel, Ridgerunner, published by House of Anansi Press
• David Bergen, for his short story collection, Here The Dark, published by Biblioasis
• Lynn Coady, for her novel, Watching You Without Me, published by House of Anansi Press
• Eva Crocker, for her novel, All I Ask, published by House of Anansi Press
• Emma Donoghue, for her novel, Pull of The Stars, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
• Francesca Ekwuyasi, for her novel, Butter Honey Pig Bread, published by Arsenal Pulp Press
• Michelle Good, for her novel, Five Little Indians, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
• Kaie Kellough, for his short story collection, Dominoes At The Crossroads, published by Véhicule Press
• Thomas King, for his novel, Indians On Vacation, published by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.
• Annabel Lyon, for her novel, Consent, published by Random House Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada
• Shani Mootoo, for her novel, Polar Vortex, published by Book*hug Press
• Emily St. John Mandel, for her novel, The Glass Hotel, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
• Seth, for his graphic novel, Clyde Fans, published by Drawn & Quarterly
• Souvankham Thammavongsa, for her short story collection, How To Pronounce Knife, published by McClelland & Stewart, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada

Not too bad of a Longlist right? I am perhaps a bit disappointed to not see Noopiming, Coming Up for Air and Vanishing Monuments on the Longlist, but I own Coming Up for Air and Vanishing Monuments so I can read them at my leisure. Noopiming I thought for sure was a strong contender! I really liked it!

Two aren’t published yet, so that gives a little bit of a break from stressing out about reading right now. Consent doesn’t come out until the end of September and Butter Honey Pig Bread not until November! Will it be on the Shortlist you think then? Or perhaps since it’s been nominated now they’ll move the publication date up to a more reasonable timeframe. With a November date it would be out close to the time when the Giller Prize winner is announced!

What do you think about the list? Any surprises or disappointments for you? Have you read any from the list?