OTTAWA, Ontario, November 16, 2022—It is with immense pleasure that the Canada Council for the Arts today revealed the 2022 winners of the prestigious Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks).
The 14 best books published in Canada in 2022 were selected by peer assessment committees that followed a very rigorous process to deliberate and choose them from among the 70 finalists in seven categories, in both English and French.
“It is clear that our world is undergoing an accelerated transformation. We are living in a turbulent social climate, marked by struggles against inequalities. We are confronted daily with many complex phenomena that are more worrisome than ever, including misogyny, gender-based violence, colonialism, racism, the search for identity, and mental health. These are but some of the contemporary themes that are explored by these brilliant GGBooks winners. Once again, I invite you to celebrate the immense talent of these authors and to take a look at these invigorating works that challenge, redefine and question moral and social norms.” — Simon Brault, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts
The winners of English- and French-language children’s/youth categories are listed below.
English-language Winners
Young People’s Literature – Text
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
Written by Jen Ferguson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Heartdrum/HarperCollins Publishers
Peer assessment committee: Michael Hutchinson, Sharon Jennings and Wesley King
Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
The Sour Cherry Tree
Written by Naseem Hrab (Toronto, Ontario)
Illustrated by Nahid Kazemi (Montreal, Quebec)
Owlkids Books
Peer assessment committee: Kate Beaton, Nhung N. Tran-Davies and Frank Viva
French-language Winners
Young People’s Literature – Text
Cancer ascendant Autruche
Written by Julie Champagne (Mirabel, Quebec)
La courte échelle
Peer assessment committee: Edith Kabuya, Daniel Marchildon and Mireille Villeneuve
Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books
Trèfle
Written by Nadine Robert (Varennes, Quebec)
Illustrated by Qin Leng (Toronto, Ontario)
Comme des géants
Peer assessment committee: David Bouchard, Beatriz Carvalho and Ninon Pelletier
The Canada Council for the Arts contributes to the vibrancy of a creative and diverse arts and literary scene and supports its presence across Canada and around the world. The Council is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to “foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.”
The Council’s grants, services, initiatives, prizes, and payments support Canadian artists, authors, and arts groups and organizations. This support allows them to pursue artistic expression, create works of art, and promote and disseminate the arts and literature.
Through its arts funding, communications, research, and promotion activities, the Council fosters ever-growing engagement of Canadians and international audiences in the arts.
The Council’s Public Lending Right (PLR) program makes annual payments to creators whose works are held in Canadian public libraries.
The Council’s Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts through exhibition and outreach activities.
The Council is responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO to contribute to a future of peace, reconciliation, equity, and sustainable development.
Media relations contacts
For interviews with the winners:
Charlene Coy
C2C Communications
charlene@c2ccommunications.com
416-451-1471
Canada Council for the Arts
Communications and Engagement
media@canadacouncil.ca
613-239-3958
1-800-263-5588, ext. 5151