36 Canadian books that won awards in the second half of 2019
Canadian writers have been busy collecting awards this year. Here's a round-up of books that have won national awards in the second half of 2019.
Fiction | Nonfiction | Poetry | Children's books & YA | Translation | Drama | Cookbooks
Fiction
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
The Testaments is set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale and includes the "explosive testaments" of three women. The book answers questions on the inner-workings of Gilead, the oppressive dystopia where Offred, the novel's original narrator, was stripped of her freedoms and forced to be a handmaid for powerful men.
The Testaments co-won the Booker Prize, alongside Girl, Woman, Other by British writer Bernardine Evaristo. The novel also won the Goodreads Choice Award for fiction.
Five Wives by Joan Thomas
In 1956, five evangelical Christian missionaries were killed when they ventured into the Ecuador rainforest to convert the Waorani, a group of Indigenous people who had no previous contact with the outside world. Five Wives fictionalizes the story of the women left to deal with the fall-out of their husbands' actions and deaths, which were widely covered by the media.
Joan Thomas's novel won the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.
Days by Moonlight by André Alexis
In Days by Moonlight , botanist Alfred Homer and Professor Morgan Bruno go on a research road trip to search for a possibly dead poet named John Skennen.
Days by Moonlight is the fourth book in a planned quincunx by André Alexis. The previous titles were Pastoral, Fifteen Dogs and The Hidden Keys.
Days by Moonlight won the 2019 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax
Plum Rains is set in 2029 Tokyo, where people are living longer and birth rates are staggeringly low. Angelica Navarro works as a nurse for Sayoko Itou — a secretive woman, who is about to turn 100 years-old. One day Sayoko is sent a gift — a sentient AI that will anticipate her every need.
Plum Rains won the adult fiction category of the 2019 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic.
Lear's Shadow by Claire Holden Rothman
Lear's Shadow follows yoga teacher Bea Rose, who takes a job as an assistant stage manager for an outdoor summer production of King Lear in Montreal. Just as rehearsals begin, Bea's family begins to unravel — her elderly father is behaving erratically and needs near-constant supervision, while her sister grows increasingly overwhelmed with work and family.
Lear's Shadow won the 2019 Vine Award for fiction. The Vine Awards honour achievements in Canadian Jewish literature.
Reproduction by Ian Williams
Reproduction is a love story revolving around race, class and identity. The book follows the connected lives of Felicia, a teen from an island nation, and Edgar, the lazy heir of a wealthy German family.
Reproduction won the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
Nonfiction
18 Miles by Christopher Dewdney
18 Miles explores the ocean of air above us and its various forms. The book is the Christopher Dewdney's sixth work of nonfiction.
18 Miles won the $10,000 Lane Anderson Award, which annually celebrates the best Canadian science books.
To the River: Losing My Brother by Don Gillmor
When David Gillmor disappeared more than 10 years ago, his truck and cowboy hat were found at the edge of the Yukon River. His body was recovered six months later, just as his brother Don Gillmor journeyed to Whitehorse to canoe through the waters his brother had departed from. To the River recaps Don's journey and how he deals with the loss of his brother.
To the River won the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for nonfiction.
The Death of Democracy by Benjamin Carter Hett
In The Death of Democracy, Benjamin Carter Hett charts the rise of Hitler in 1930s Germany, from the failures of the Weimar Republic after the First World War, to the shortsightedness of politicians in Germany in allowing the rise of fascism.
The Death of Democracy won the 2019 Vine Award for history writing. The Vine Awards honour achievements in Canadian Jewish literature.
Out of Old Ontario Kitchens by Lindy Mechefske
Out of Old Ontario Kitchens traces the culinary development of First Nations peoples and settlers. With historically sourced recipes as well as old photographs, early artworks, botanical prints and illustrations, the book honours Ontario's rich food history.
Out of Old Ontario Kitchens won the culinary narratives award at the 2019 Taste Canada Awards.
Infinite Gradation by Anne Michaels
In Infinite Gradation, Anne Michaels explores how art faces death and how art can overcome mortality.
Infinite Gradation won in the nonfiction category of the 2019 Vine Awards. The Vine Awards honour the best Canadian literature by Jewish writers or on Jewish subjects.
Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related. by Jenny Heijun Wills
Writer Jenny Heijun Wills was born in Korea and adopted as an infant by a white family in southern Ontario. In her late 20s, Wills traveled to Seoul to look for her first family. Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related. charts her journey trying to unlock her past and is written as a series of vignettes and letters.
The memoir won the $60,000 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction.
Poetry
Holy Wild by Gwen Benaway
In Holy Wild, Gwen Benaway navigates the complexities of being an Indigenous trans woman in vast lyric poems.
Benaway is a poet of Anishinaabe and Métis descent. Holy Wild won the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry.
Divided by Linda Frank
Dividedis a poetry collection that charts humanity's interactions with the animal kingdom and considers our harmony with wildlife, as well as its exploitation.
Divided won in the poetry category of the 2019 Vine Awards. The Vine Awards honour the best Canadian literature by Jewish writers or on Jewish subjects.
Children's books & YA
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
Set in Victorian London, Sweep is a middle-grade novel that revolves around a young orphan girl named Nan who sweeps chimneys for a dangerous and hardscrabble living. Nan nearly perishes in a deadly chimney fire, but is saved when a piece of charcoal comes to life as a mysterious golem-like creature. Together, the two hatch a plan to rescue young orphan chimney sweeps from losing their lives on the job for cruel masters.
Sweep won the children's/young adult category at the 2019 Vine Awards for the best Canadian literature by Jewish writers or on Jewish subjects. It also won 2018 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text.
The House of One Thousand Eyes by Michelle Barker
In The House of One Thousand Eyes, a tragic event in 1980s East Berlin leaves Lena parentless and living with her Auntie — a devotee to the ruling Communist Party. Her only respite is from visits to her famous author uncle. However, one day her uncle vanishes without a trace, and it is up to Lena to find him.
The House of One Thousand Eyes won the $5,000 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award from the Canadian Children's Book Centre.
Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Stand on the Sky is about Aisulu's nomadic community, where only men have traditionally learned to train eagles. But when her parents take her brother to a distant hospital, Aisulu secretly nurtures an orphaned baby eagle.
Stand on the Sky won the 2019 Governor General's Award for Young people's literature — text.
Africville by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Eva Campbell
Africville depicts the vibrant black community in Halifax that thrived for more than 150 years before being demolished by the government in the 1960s. Shauntay Grant wanted to create a picture book that showcased the former community and collaborated with illustrator Eva Campbell.
Africville won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award for best Canadian picture book.
The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis
Set in 1858, The Journey of Little Charlie follows a 12-year-old boy named Charlie who agrees to track down thieves in order to settle his debts with a cruel man. But when Charlie learns that the thieves he's hunting are people who have escaped from slavery, his conscience intervenes.
The Journey of Little Charlie won the $5,000 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People from the Canadian Children's Book Centre.
Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
Tess of the Road is set in the kingdom of Goredd, where women are protected by men while dragons rule. Tess, a mischievous young woman, is due to be sent to a nunnery, but escapes her family's clutches and sets off on a journey to the southlands.
Tess of the Road won the YA category at this year's Sunburst Awards. The Sunburst Awards honour excellence in Canadian literature of the fantastic.
The Space Adventurer's Guide by Peter McMahon, illustrated by Josh Holinaty
The Space Adventurer's Guide is written by Peter McMahon and illustrated by Josh Holinaty for kids aged 8 to 12. It's a travel guide to the "coolest things to see and do in the universe," including what to do while on vacation on the moon, Jupiter and Mars.
The Space Adventurer's Guide won Lane Anderson Award for Canadian science writing in the young adult category.
Turtle Pond by James Gladstone, illustrated by Karen Reczuch
Written as a prose poem, Turtle Pond follows a child and his parents over the course of a year as they visit the turtles at their local public garden. The family delights at watching the turtles splash, feed and play in and out of the water.
Turtle Pond won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction.
Ebb & Flow by Heather Smith
Ebb & Flow is a middle-grade novel written in free verse. It uses vignettes to tell the emotional story of 11-year-old Jett, a boy with a troubled past and a shameful secret.
Ebb & Flow won the 2019 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award.
Small in the City by Sydney Smith
Small in the City is about a young boy exploring the downtown of a city after having hopped off a streetcar on a snowy day. On his journey, the boy discovers shortcuts and friendly faces, all the while trying to find his way home.
Small in the City won the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
The titular character of Courtney Summers's YA novel Sadie lives in an isolated small town with her sister Mattie. When Mattie is found dead and the police botch the investigation, Sadie becomes determined to track down the killer herself. At a gas station, a travelling radio personality named West McCray hears about Sadie's story and starts a podcast about her investigation.
Sadie won the 2019 John Spray Mystery Award for best mystery book for young people.
They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki
A vibrant picture book, They Say Blue is an exploration of colour told from the perspective of a curious and inquisitive little girl.
They Say Blue won the TD Fan Choice Award. Students voted for their favourite finalist for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. The book also won the 2018 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration.
The Divided Earth by Faith Erin Hicks
The final instalment of Faith Erin Hicks's acclaimed Nameless City trilogy, The Divided Earth barrels to a thrilling conclusion for Rat and Kai, the two misfit friends at the heart of the middle grade fantasy graphic novels. In this book, Kai and Rat must break into the palace of the rogue prince Erzi, who holds the Nameless City hostage with the formula for an ancient weapon of mass destruction.
The Divided Earth won best publication for kids at the Eisner Awards.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me is a YA graphic novel about a teenage girl named Freddy who can't seem to quit her girlfriend, the popular, enigmatic Laura Dean. Though they keep breaking up and getting back together, Freddy frets over whether to forgive Laura's many indiscretions — all the while taking her friendships for granted.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me won the 2019 Harvey Award for best children's or young adult book.
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks
Rainbow Rowell, a bestselling writer from Nebraska, teamed up with B.C.-based artist Faith Erin Hicks for the middle-grade graphic novel Pumpkinheads. In Pumpkinheads, Josiah and Deja renew their friendship every September by working side by side at the world's greatest pumpkin patch. But after Halloween, the two always go their separate ways. Now in their senior year of high school, Deja and Josiah are working their very last shift together and are determined to make it special.
Pumpkinheads won the Goodreads Choice Award in the graphic novel category.
Translation
Birds of a Kind by Wajdi Mouawad, translated by Linda Gaboriau
In Birds of a Kind, a play set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a suicide bombing rocks Jerusalem. An Israeli-German scientist named Eitan is injured in the attack and slips into a coma. His girlfriend Wahida, a Moroccan graduate student, sits at his hospital bedside, unsure of how to contact his family who disapprove of their intercultural relationship.
Birds of a Kind won the 2019 Governor General's Award for translation.
Drama
Other Side of the Game by Amanda Parris
Other Side of the Game tells the story of black women fighting against institutions while supporting their loved ones who have been incarcerated. Protagonists Beverly, a keen young woman who joins a group of black activists in the 1970s and Nicole, who, four decades later, is stopped by police while on a basketball court with her ex-boyfriend.
Other Side of the Game won the 2019 Governor General's Award for drama.
Cookbooks
Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian
Bottom of the Pot contains over 100 recipes that speak to writer Naz Deravian's Persian heritage. At eight-years-old, Deravian and her family fled Iran in the wake of revolution. Although they took very little with them, Derivian knew that home could be found in her food tradition.
Bottom of the Pot won the regional or cultural category at the 2019 Taste Canada Awards for Canadian food writing.
French Pastry 101 by Betty Hung
In French Pastry 101 Betty Hung, co-owner of the Beaucoup Bakery, teaches you the art of French pastry. In 60 "beginner friendly" recipes, Hung provides an overview of creating classic baked goods.
French Pastry 101 won the single subject category at the 2019 Taste Canada Awards for Canadian food writing.
Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse by Frederic Morin, David McMillan and Meredith Erickson
From the people behind the beloved Montreal restaurant Joe Beef, Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse gives you recipes for turbulent times. 150 recipes, from watercress soup to making your own soap, Joe Beef encourages you to do it yourself.
Joe Beef won the general cookbooks category at the 2019 Taste Canada Awards for Canadian food writing.
The Mindful Glow Cookbook: Radiant Recipes for Being the Healthiest by Abbey Sharp
In The Mindful Glow Cookbook dietician and Youtube star Abbey Sharp shares 100 plant-centric recipes. Included are stuffed Hawaiian burgers and mini sticky toffee puddings, all of which are free of dairy, gluten and nuts.
The Mindful Glow Cookbook won the health and special diet category at the 2019 Taste Canada Awards for Canadian food writing.
Antoni in the Kitchen by Antoni Porowski
Antoni in the Kitchen is the debut cookbook of Antoni Porowski, food and wine guru on Netflix's hit show Queer Eye. He collects "healthy-ish" recipes — many of which contain less than five ingredients — that can be thrown together at the last minute, but still pack a punch. Some dishes include Malaysian chili shrimp and salty lemon squares.
Antoni in the Kitchen won the Goodreads Choice Award in the food & cookbooks category.