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The Canada Council for the Arts presents
the 2023 Governor General’s Literary Awards


The Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) celebrate literature and inspire people to read books by creators from Canada. They provide finalists and winners with valuable recognition from peers and readers across the country.

See the winners
A colourful graphic for the 2023 GGBooks English-language finalists.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Recipients from 2020 to 2023 will be honoured at a special gathering in Ottawa, Ontario, in spring 2024.

Follow #GGBooks2023 on your social media channels!

Immerse yourself in the books you love.

See all the events and activities

The best books of 2023

2023 English-language winners 2023 French-language winners 2023 English-language winners and finalists 2023 French-language winners and finalists

Fiction

Book cover for A History of Burning, by Janika Oza

A History of Burning

Janika Oza

McClelland & Stewart, Penguin Random House Canada

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Winner
Book cover for In the Upper Country, by Kai Thomas

In the Upper Country

Kai Thomas

Viking, Penguin Random House Canada

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Book cover for The Sleeping Car Porter, by Suzette Mayr

The Sleeping Car Porter

Suzette Mayr

Coach House Books

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Book cover for We Spread, by Iain Reid

We Spread

Iain Reid

Scribner, Simon & Schuster Canada

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Winner
Book cover for Lʼor des mélèzes, by Carole Labarre

Lʼor des mélèzes

Carole Labarre

Mémoire dʼencrier

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Book cover for Mon fils ne revint que sept jours, by David Clerson

Mon fils ne revint que sept jours

David Clerson

Héliotrope

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Book cover for Sombre est la nuit, by Brigitte Haentjens

Sombre est la nuit

Brigitte Haentjens

Les Éditions du Boréal

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Book cover for Une carte postale de lʼocéan, by Stéfani Meunier

Une carte postale de lʼocéan

Stéfani Meunier

Leméac Éditeur

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PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Carleigh Baker

Neil Bissoondath

Jessica Westhead

PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Edem Awumey

Danielle Dussault

Tassia Trifiatis-Tezgel

Poetry

Book cover for Baby Book, by Amy Ching-Yan Lam

Baby Book

Amy Ching-Yan Lam

Brick Books

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Book cover for Exculpatory Lilies, by Susan Musgrave

Exculpatory Lilies

Susan Musgrave

McClelland & Stewart, Penguin Random House Canada

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Book cover for Old Gods, by Conor Kerr

Old Gods

Conor Kerr

Nightwood Editions

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Book cover for The Ridge, by Robert Bringhurst

The Ridge

Robert Bringhurst

Harbour Publishing

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Winner
Book cover for À terre ouverte, by Sebastián Ibarra Gutiérrez

À terre ouverte

Sebastián Ibarra Gutiérrez

Éditions Hamac

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Winner
Book cover for Exercices de joie, by Louise Dupré

Exercices de joie

Louise Dupré

Le Noroît

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Book cover for La fabrique du noir, by Virginie Chaloux-Gendron

La fabrique du noir

Virginie Chaloux-Gendron

Le Noroît

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Book cover for Les deuils transparents, by Virginie Savard

Les deuils transparents

Virginie Savard

Triptyque

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PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Mary Dalton

Moez Surani

Gillian Sze

PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Mimi Haddam

Gabriel Osson

Judy Quinn

Drama

Book cover for Forgiveness, by Hiro Kanagawa

Forgiveness

Hiro Kanagawa

Playwrights Canada Press

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Book cover for Is My Microphone On?, by Jordan Tannahill

Is My Microphone On?

Jordan Tannahill

Playwrights Canada Press

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Book cover for The Enchanted Loom, by Suvendrini Lena

The Enchanted Loom

Suvendrini Lena

Playwrights Canada Press

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Book cover for The War Being Waged, by Darla Contois

The War Being Waged

Darla Contois

Scirocco Drama, J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing

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Winner
Book cover for Akuteu, by Soleil Launière

Akuteu

Soleil Launière

Éditions du remue-ménage

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Book cover for Charlie, du vent derrière le nombril, by Martin Bellemare

Charlie, du vent derrière le nombril

Martin Bellemare

Dramaturges Éditeurs

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Winner
Book cover for Les glaces, by Rébecca Déraspe

Les glaces

Rébecca Déraspe

Éditions de Ta Mère

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Book cover for Mama, by Nathalie Doummar

Mama

Nathalie Doummar

Éditions du remue-ménage

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PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Aaron Bushkowsky

Tai Amy Grauman

Julie Tamiko Manning

PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Katrine Deniset

Isabelle Hubert

Gabriel Léger-Savard

Non-fiction

Book cover for Gendered Islamophobia: My Journey With a Scar(f), by Monia Mazigh

Gendered Islamophobia: My Journey With a Scar(f)

Monia Mazigh

Mawenzi House Publishers

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Book cover for Invisible Boy: A Memoir of Self Discovery, by Harrison Mooney

Invisible Boy: A Memoir of Self-Discovery

Harrison Mooney

HarperCollins Canada

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Book cover for Message in a Bottle: Ocean Dispatches from a Seabird Biologist, by Holly Hogan

Message in a Bottle: Ocean Dispatches from a Seabird Biologist

Holly Hogan

Knopf, Penguin Random House Canada

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Book cover for Unbroken, by Angela Sterritt

Unbroken

Angela Sterritt

Greystone Books

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Winner
Winner
Book cover for Jʼaccuse les tortionnaires dʼOmar Khadr, by Frédéric Bérard

Jʼaccuse les tortionnaires dʼOmar Khadr

Frédéric Bérard

Saint-Jean Éditeur

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Book cover for La société de provocation, by Dahlia Namian

La société de provocation

Dahlia Namian

Lux Éditeur

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Book cover for Mégaptère, by Martine Béland

Mégaptère

Martine Béland

Leméac Éditeur

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Book cover for Panique à lʼUniversité, by Francis Dupuis-Déri

Panique à lʼUniversité

Francis Dupuis-Déri

Lux Éditeur

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PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

KatłĮà Lafferty

Lorri Neilsen Glenn

Rinaldo Walcott

PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Karim Akouche

Martine Jacquot

Julie Kurtness

Young People’s Literature – Text

Book cover for As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, by Zoulfa Katouh

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

Zoulfa Katouh

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette Book Group

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Book cover for Berani, by Michelle Kadarusman

Berani

Michelle Kadarusman

Pajama Press

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Book cover for Fire on Headless Mountain, by Iain Lawrence

Fire on Headless Mountain

Iain Lawrence

Margaret Ferguson Books, Penguin Random House Canada

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Winner
Book cover for Weird Rules to Follow, by Kim Spencer

Weird Rules to Follow

Kim Spencer

Orca Book Publishers

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Book cover for Escarpolette, by Sylvie Drapeau

Escarpolette

Sylvie Drapeau

Dominique et compagnie / Les éditions Héritage

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Book cover Le plancher de la lune, by Jean-Christophe Réhel

Le plancher de la lune

Jean-Christophe Réhel

la courte échelle

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Winner
Book cover for Mélie quelque part au milieu, by Mylène Goupil

Mélie quelque part au milieu

Mylène Goupil

Éditions Québec Amérique

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Book cover for Zipolaris Tome 3 : La malédiction de Zangra, by J.L. Blanchard

Zipolaris Tome 3 : La malédiction de Zangra

J.L. Blanchard

Éditions Fides

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PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Cheryl Foggo

June Hur

Tom Ryan

PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Cheyda Haramein

Jean-François Sénéchal

Danièle Simpson

Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books

Book cover for Boobies, by Nancy Vo

Boobies

Nancy Vo

Groundwood Books

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Book cover for Mr. S, by Monica Arnaldo

Mr. S

Monica Arnaldo

Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins

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Book cover for Still This Love Goes On, by Buffy Sainte-Marie and Julie Flett

Still This Love Goes On

Buffy Sainte-Marie, Julie Flett

Greystone Kids, Greystone Books

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Book cover for The Skull, by Jon Klassen

The Skull

Jon Klassen

Candlewick Press

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Winner
Book cover for Gervais et Conrad, by Iris Boudreau

Gervais et Conrad

Iris Boudreau

Éditions Les 400 coups

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Book cover for Je tʼécris de mon lit, by Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve and Agathe Bray-Bourret

Je tʼécris de mon lit

Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve, Agathe Bray-Bourret

Éditions Les 400 coups

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Book cover for Le Bourlingueur de Matungoua, de Boucar Diouf and François Thisdale

Le Bourlingueur de Matungoua

Boucar Diouf, François Thisdale

Éditions La Presse

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Winner
Book cover for Parfois les lacs brûlent, by Geneviève Bigué

Parfois les lacs brûlent

Geneviève Bigué

Front Froid

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PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Marianne Ferrer

Lee Edward Födi

Mahak Jain

PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Julien Chung

Andrée Lévesque-Sioui

Translation

Book cover for Alone: The Journeys of Three Young Refugees, translated by Arielle Aaronson

Alone: The Journeys of Three Young Refugees

Arielle Aaronson

Groundwood Books Ltd.; translation of Seuls, by Paul Tom

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Book cover for House Within a House, translated by D.M. Bradford

House Within a House

D.M. Bradford

Brick Books; translation of Désormais, ma demeure, by Nicholas Dawson

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Book cover for Kukum, translated by Susan Ouriou

Kukum

Susan Ouriou

Arachnide, House of Anansi Press Inc.; translation of Kukum, by Michel Jean

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Book cover for Okinum, translated by Émilie Monnet

Okinum

Émilie Monnet

Scirocco Drama, J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing; translation of Okinum, by Émilie Monnet

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Winner
Winner
Book cover for Nʼayons pas peur du ciel, translated by Dominique Fortier

Nʼayons pas peur du ciel

Dominique Fortier

Éditions Alto; translation of We Should Not Be Afraid of the Sky, by Emma Hooper

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Book cover for Père fictif, translated by Luba Markovskaia

Père fictif

Luba Markovskaia

Éditions de la Pastèque; translation of Fictional Father, by Joe Ollmann

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Book cover for soufrelangue, translated by Madeleine Stratford

soufrelangue

Madeleine Stratford

Éditions Prise de parole; translation of sulphurtongue, by Rebecca Salazar

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Book cover for Tout est bien, translated by Marie Frankland

Tout est bien

Marie Frankland

Éditions Québec Amérique; translation of Allʼs Well, by Mona Awad

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PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Bilal Hashmi

Melissa Bull

Pablo Strauss

PEER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Rose Després

Benoit Laflamme

Marie-Thé Morin

Visit the 2023 GGBooks partner websites to find the best books.

49th ShelfThe Centre for Equitable Library AccessChapters IndigoApple Books RakutenKoboLes librairesNational Network for Equitable Library ServiceCIBA Logo

Media partners

The Canada Council for the Arts thanks the 2023 GGBooks media partners for contributing to the promotion of literature from Canada.

CBC Radio-CanadaL'actualité

Submitting a book

Publishers can submit works they consider to be outstanding. The guidelines and eligibility requirements are accessible through the button below.

How to submit a nomination