Writer’s Trust, Giller Prize post fiction finalists
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/09/2025 (382 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
With fall books season having properly kicked off, the last week saw two of Canada’s big fiction prizes unveil lists of finalists for the awards.
On Sept. 17, the Writers’ Trust of Canada shared its list of five finalists for the $70,000 prize, which will be presented at a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 13. (Shortlisted authors who don’t win take home $7,500.)
And the finalists are: Tim Bowling for Graveyard Shift at the Lemonade Stand: Stories, Robert McGill for Simple Creatures: Stories, Otoniya J. Okot Bitek for We, the Kindling, Maria Reva for Endling and Aurora Stewart de Peña for Julius Julius.
Okot Bitek’s We, the Kindling also made the 14-book long list for the 2025 Giller Prize, which was announced Sept. 15. Among others on the long list: André Alexis for Other Worlds, Souvanhkam Thammavongsa (who own the prize in 2020) for her novel Pick a Colour, Amanda Leduc for Wild Life, 2019 Giller winner Ian Williams for his novel You’ve Changed and Mona Awad for We Love You, Bunny.
The complete list of Giller longlisted books can be found at gillerprize.ca/2025-finalists — the short list will be announced Oct. 6, and the winner of the $100,000 prize revealed Monday, Nov. 17.
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Plume Winnipeg’s Thin Air/Livres en fête kicks off today, running through to Sunday, Sept. 28 at venues throughout Winnipeg, and many of the events are free. (For more on the festival, see today’s arts and life section.)
On Monday at 7 p.m., Winnipeg novelist David Bergen launches his novel Days of Feasting and Rejoicing at McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location, where he’ll be joined in conversation by fellow local novelist Joan Thomas. The launch is part of Thin Air’s Signature Series of events.
Bergen’s new novel follows an American woman who takes on the identity of her recently, mysteriously deceased Canadian friend, and the gradual tightening of the circle around her as local authorities close in.
Winnipeg-based sports broadcaster Scott Oake will be at the Bill & Helen Norrie Library (15 Poseidon Bay) on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. as part of Thin Air’s Big Ideas series of talks, where he’ll discuss his memoir For the Love of a Son: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Hope.
Oake writes about the death of his son Bruce and the process of getting the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre up and running. He’ll be joined in conversation by UMFM program director Michael Elves.
The following day’s Big Ideas chat sees Montreal illustrator Gabrielle Drolet discuss her memoir Look Ma, No Hands: A Chronic Pain Memoir.
Drolet will be in conversation with Toronto’s Ardra Shephard, who will talk about her own book Fallosophy: My Trip Through Life With MS.
Also on Thursday, Indigenous author/speaker Bob Joseph stops at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location at 7 p.m. to talk about his book 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government: A Conversation About Dismantling the Indian Act as part of Thin Air’s Signature Series.
Of note: The launch of Duncan Mercredi’s new poetry collection Only the Scent of You Remained, which was slated to take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. with Rosanna Deerchild as part of Thin Air, has been postponed.
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Montreal-based Korean-Canadian author Jinwoo Park will be in town on Monday at 7 p.m. to launch his debut novel Oxford Soju Club at Whodunit Mystery Bookstore (163 Lilac St.), where he’ll be joined by Winnipeg’s Jenny Heijun Wills.
The novel follows the protégé of a recently deceased North Korean spy as he tries to determine what happened — and while he, in turn, is tracked by a Korean-American CIA agent.
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LaSalle, Man.’s Michael McMullen, author of Garbage Boy, has been on the road with his new book, rolling through Whitehorse as well as Sakatchewan and Alberta. He’s now bringing his latest, Leaving Lisa to town on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., when he’ll be at the Indigo at Kenaston Common (1590 Kenaston Blvd.) with a musical guest.
Leaving Lisa is McMullen’s third book, published independently, and follows a musician named Lisa and three other characters at a diner who decide to find new paths in life.
Lyrics in the book led to the creation of an album of the same name, which is available on most streaming services. At the Winnipeg launch Manitoba musician Thomas Gut will join McMullen to play three songs.
books@freepress.mb.ca
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.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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