2015 Giller Prize short list includes 2 books published at Biblioasis
A pair of books published at Windsor's Biblioasis has made the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize short list.
Arvida by Samuel Archibald and Martin John by Anakana Schofield were announced as two of the five books on the Giller Prize short list. The owner of the small publishing company was thrilled when he heard the announcement.
"I'm greatly relieved and grateful," said Dan Wells, on the phone from Toronto to CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive. "It was wonderful to see three on the long list, but you can't count on anything making it to the next round."
‘Martin John’ and ‘Arvida’ are <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GillerPrize?src=hash">#GillerPrize</a> finalists!!! HUGE CONGRATS <a href="https://twitter.com/AnakanaSchofiel">@AnakanaSchofiel</a> + <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvidaMan">@arvidaman</a>! <a href="http://t.co/9j5tNcVpRE">pic.twitter.com/9j5tNcVpRE</a>
—@biblioasisThe shortlisted finalists for the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize are as follows:
- André Alexis for Fifteen Dogs.
- Samuel Archibald/Donald Winkler (translator) for Arvida.
- Rachel Cusk for Outline.
- Heather O'Neill for Daydreams of Angels.
- Anakana Schofield for Martin John.
The recipient of the Giller Prize will receive a $100,000 award. The other finalists will receive $10,000 each.
Wells said each of the Biblioasis titles brings something unique to the short list.
"What's wonderful about these two books is that they're so completely different from one another and that a single jury would be able to appreciate the merits of both of them is a wonderful thing," he said.
'A 40 per cent chance of winning'
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said Monday's news was great not only for Biblioasis and the authors themselves, but for the city.
At a press conference, Dilkens said it was "absolutely unbelievable" that the Windsor-based publisher has two names on the Giller short list.
"We know we have at least a 40 per cent chance of winning," the mayor said Monday.
The news about the finalists got Biblioasis many shoutouts on social media, including one from Coun. Chris Holt, who represents the ward in Windsor where Biblioasis is located:
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Walkerville?src=hash">#Walkerville</a> publisher <a href="https://twitter.com/biblioasis">@biblioasis</a> soars ahead of the crowd by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/publishing?src=hash">#publishing</a> 40% of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GillerPrize?src=hash">#GillerPrize</a> shortlist. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HometownProud?src=hash">#HometownProud</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YQG?src=hash">#YQG</a>
—@CouncillorHoltThe award ceremony will be broadcast on CBC Television at 9 p.m ET on Nov. 10.
Biblioasis will be holding a party that night at the Kildare House on Wyandotte Street East, where the award broadcast will be shown. Everyone in Windsor is invited to attend.
"We want to pack the place full of people and cheer on our authors," said Grant Munroe, the director of marketing and publicity at Biblioasis.
When the long list for the Giller was announced, three of the 10 books that made that initial list were published by Biblioasis.
The third book that made that list was Russell Smith's Confidence, which has also been nominated for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.