Governor General’s Literary Awards

The Awards

The Governor General's Literary Awards recognize Canada's most notable English- and French-language books in each of the following seven categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature – Text, Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books and Translation (from French to English and vice versa).

Eligibility

The books must be submitted to the Canada Council by an eligible publisher.

To know the eligibility criteria or get more information about the awards, see the guidelines.

Prize amounts

Winning books: 14 prizes of $25,000 and a $3,000 grant to each publisher

Finalists: $1,000 per book

Background

In 1936, His Excellency the Right Honourable John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir, was approached by members of the Canadian Authors Association to establish a system of literary prizes. He agreed to lend the name of his office in order to stimulate writers and encourage a deeper interest in their work among the general public. As a result of these talks, the Governor General’s Literary Awards were created. In 1959, the Canada Council for the Arts assumed responsibility for them and added prizes for works written in French. In 1987, three categories were added: Translation and the two children’s literature categories (text and illustration), which are now known as Young People’s Literature – Text and Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books.