The Giller Prize asks, ‘Dono-who?’

This year’s Scotiabank Giller Prize long list, announced on Sept. 20, was somewhat thrilling. Johanna Skibsrud (whom I met when organizing a reading in Toronto years ago) and Kathleen Winter were two authors I was particularly excited to see included.

However, the glaring omission of Emma Donoghue’s Room, as many Canadian newspapers and magazines have noted, remains puzzling.

This article from the Atlantic discusses (with serious downfalls) the importance of appearing on the cover of the New York Times Book Review as a woman. Alice Munro was the last Canadian woman that I can recall who received that honour (and please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on that point as I cannot confirm if this is true).

Two weeks ago, the review of Emma Donoghue’s Room was granted that, reportedly, coveted placement.

So, how does the Giller decide its contenders?

A search for the Giller Prize’s criteria turned up no results. Their webpage does not disclose what criteria the jury uses, but does list the members of this year’s jury. It consists of a Canadian, an American and a Brit. The inclusion of different nationalities makes sense (after all, the Giller Prize is not searching for the year’s best book about Canada, but the year’s best book by a Canadian author); however, with no idea how the books are judged one is left to wonder how the list is created each year.

Room was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, which begs the question: is the Giller bypassing a, according to the critics, potential Canadian classic because it has already received a nod from the world’s largest literary award? Or, has the Giller left the “buzz” to the bees?

Alice Munro made headlines last year when she withdrew herself from consideration for the Giller because she had won twice before. Munro’s publisher stated that Munro would “like to leave the field to younger writers,” as reported by the Globe and Mail.

So, is the prize now less about recognizing a great work and more about publicity for Canada’s up-and-coming?

David Bergen, who won in 2005, is on the long list this year for The Matter With Morris, and Douglas Coupland, who has been touted one of Canada’s most recognized writers, was chosen for his 2010 CBC Massey Lecture, Player One: What Is To Become of Us?

Thus, the Giller still recognizes its entrenched greats while it acknowledges young, promising writers. 

I will now sheepishly admit to not yet having read Donoghue’s Room (but I have begun to read many of the books on the long list).

It pains me to admit that I remind myself of my father here (and, to a lesser extent, Slavoj Žižek), who maintains that in this day and age you don’t need to see (or, in this case read) a work to know its merit. 

I’ll leave the job of attributing merit to the Giller Prize jury, but will still posit the question of what makes the cut and why, using Donoghue’s Room as an example.