Authors call for action on Scotiabank Giller Prize

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This article was published 12/07/2024 (446 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg author David Bergen is among a group of more than two dozen authors who have signed a letter calling for the Scotiabank Giller Prize to cut ties with its title sponsor over its stake in an Israeli arms manufacturer.

A July 10 letter to the Giller Foundation posted online by a group called Canlit Responds states the authors “cannot abide our work being used to provide cover for sponsors actively investing in arms funding and Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians” — a reference to the Scotiabank’s stake in Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.

The letter calls for the Giller Foundation to use its leverage to pressure Scotiabank to divest from Elbit Systems, and to cut ties with all funders “directly invested in Israel’s occupation and genocide in Palestine, including the Azrieli Foundation, Indigo and Audible.”

Bergen won the Giller Prize in 2005 for his novel The Time in Between, and has been on numerous long and short lists over the years for his novels and short-story collections.

“I mean, it’s not an easy decision to make,” said Bergen, calling from the road in Alberta. “Writers work hard at their books, and then to say, ‘I’m not going to submit it for a big prize’ is a big decision.”

Other signatories include former Giller-shortlisted author Shani Mootoo and former winner Omar El Akkad, who as former nominees are refusing to participate in all Giller-related promotions and programming.

Other signatories are authors with books eligible for the 2024 prize but who won’t be submitting their work for consideration. They include Manitoba-born, Toronto-based Adriana Chartrand, John Elizabeth Stinzi, Catherine Hernandez and Kazim Ali.

The prize is worth $100,000 and typically comes with a large bump in books sales.

“I admire them much more than I admire myself,” Bergen said of the authors removing themselves from contention. “They’re taking a much bigger risk than I am.

“Let’s be clear, I have been very fortunate with the Giller, and I have no problem with awards for books. It’s just the associations that have come with it in the latter years.”

On Nov. 13, the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize ceremony was interrupted by protesters over Scotiabank’s ties to Elbit Systems; three people were charged as a result. A letter calling for charges to be dropped against the demonstrators, posted shortly after the ceremony, garnered more than 2,000 signatures.

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Giller executive director Elana Rabinovitch says the board discussed the calls to cut ties with Scotiabank over its investment in an Israeli arms manufacturer, but they ultimately decided to stick with the bank.

“I think it’s a missed opportunity for the Giller Prize — it’s unfortunate,” Bergen said. “And I think it reflects the inability to hear what’s going on in the world.”

Rabinovitch says the Giller Foundation is not a political tool, and Scotiabank’s funding has had a positive impact on prize winners and the CanLit scene at large.

— with files from The Canadian Press

ben.sigurdson@winnipegfreepress.com

Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer

Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.

In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.