TORONTO — Sarah Bernstein's absurdist novel "Study for Obedience" nabbed a spot on another short list Wednesday — this time for the $100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
Bernstein is also in the running for the Booker Prize for her sophomore effort, which follows an unnamed narrator who moves to an unfriendly land to become her brother's housekeeper.
The list of five finalists, announced Wednesday, also includes Eleanor Catton for "Birnam Wood," which throws guerrilla gardeners into the path of a not-as-eccentric-as-he-seems billionaire. Catton won the Booker in 2013 for her second novel, "The Luminaries," which also took home a Governor General's Literary Award.
Kevin Chong made the short list for "The Double Life of Benson Yu," a work of metafiction in which a graphic novelist reluctantly confronts his difficult childhood.
Dionne Irving's "The Islands: Stories," which explores the lives of Jamaican women and the broader forces that shape them, was the only short story collection to make the short list.
Rounding out the short list is Giller long-list veteran CS Richardson's novel "All the Colour in the World," about an artist's remarkable life. He was longlisted for the prize for 2012's "The Emperor of Paris."
This year marks the Giller's 30th anniversary. It's awarded to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English.
The Giller was established by Jack Rabinovitch in 1994 in memory of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.
"Over the past 30 years the prize has become a cultural institution in Canada and, I would say, beyond and is a beacon of Canadian literary talent across the globe," said Laura Curtis Ferrera, Scotiabank's chief marketing officer.
This year's short list was culled from 145 works. The prize — Canada's largest fiction purse — will be handed out Nov. 13 at a televised event hosted by Rick Mercer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2023.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
