2009 Governor General’s Literary Awards

With pride in their eyes, the 2009 Governor General Literary Awards laureates were photographed with Their Excellencies.

Their Excellencies also met with the publishers of the winning authors and illustrators.

Nicole V. Champeau, Ottawa (Ontario), won the Non-Fiction award (French) for Pointe Maligne : l’infiniment oubliée, published by Les Éditions du Vermillon, distributed by Prologue.

M.G. Vassanji, Toronto (Ontario), won the Non-Fiction award (English) for A Place Within: Rediscovering India, published by Doubleday Canada, distributed by Random House of Canada.

Julie Mazzieri, Velone-Orneto (France), originally from Saint-Paul-de-Chester, Quebec, won the Fiction award (French) for Le discours sur la tombe de l’idiot, published by Éditions José Corti, distributed by Diffusion Dimédia.

Kate Pullinger, London (UK), originally from Cranbrook, Colombie-Britannique, won the Fiction award (English) for The Mistress of Nothing, published and distributed by McArthur & Company.

Their Excellencies along with Ms. Barbara Burley and Dr. Carol Bream, from the Council for the Arts, congratulated each of the 2009 laureates.

Established in 1937, the Governor General’s Literary Awards are Canada’s oldest and most prestigious awards for English- and French-language Canadian literature. The 2009 ceremony was held in the Ballroom, at Rideau Hall.

“Over time, the Council broadened the scope of these awards to better reflect the abundance and wealth of French- and English-language Canadian literature, including non-fiction, children’s literature—text and illustration—and translation. We owe the Canada Council for the Arts great thanks for their 50 years of commitment to Canada’s literary community. Fifty years of support to these creators, our writers, our illustrators, our masters of translation, who must absolutely be acknowledged as the raw materials from which books are made and then distributed by publishers.”

Kevin Loring, Vancouver (British Columbia), won the Drama award (English), for Where the Blood Mixes, published by Talonbooks, distributed by Publishers Group Canada.

Ms. Odette Lavoie accepted the Drama award (French) on behalf of Suzanne Lebeau, Montréal (Quebec), for Le bruit des os qui craquent, published by Leméac Éditeur, distributed par Socadis.

Hervé Bouchard, Saguenay (Quebec), won the Children’s Literature – Text award (French) for his book Harvey, published at Les Éditions de la Pastèque; distributed by Socadis.

Caroline Pignat, Ottawa (Ontario), won the Children’s Literature – Text award (English), for her book Greener Grass: The Famine Years, published by Red Deer Press, a division of Fitzhenry & Whiteside; distributed by the publisher.

Janice Nadeau, Montreal (Quebec), won the Children’s Literature – Illustration award (French) for the book Harvey, published by Les Éditions de la Pastèque; distributed by Socadis.

Jirina Marton, Colborne (Ontario), won the Children’s Literature – Illustration(English) for the book Bella’s Tree, text by Janet Russell, published by Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press, distributed by HarperCollins Canada.

Paule Noyart, Bromont (Quebec), won the Translation award for Le miel d’Harar, published by Leméac Éditeur / Actes Sud, distributed by Socadis.

Susan Ouriou, Calgary (Alberta), won the Translation award for Pieces of Me, published by Kids Can Press, distributed by University of Toronto Press.

Hélène Monette, Montreal (Quebec), won the Poetry award (French), for the book Thérèse pour joie et orchestre, published by Les Éditions du Boréal, distributed by Diffusion Dimédia.

David Zieroth, North Vancouver (British Columbia), won the Poetry award (English) for The Fly in Autumn, published and distributed by Harbour Publishing.

Ms. Barbara Burley, Member of the Board of Directors of the Canada Council for the Arts, and Ms. Carol Bream, Director of Communications, Canada Council for the Arts, also said a few words during the ceremony.