GG 2013

Each year, the Governor General’s Literary Awards (the GGs) honour the best in Canadian literature.

As Canada’s national literary awards, the GGs represent the rich diversity of Canadian literature.

Some 1,600 books are submitted each year from English and French-language publishers representing authors, translators and illustrators from across Canada, in seven categories. Please visit the GG website to view the full list of finalists in all categories.

Here for your reading consideration are the five finalists in the English Non-fiction category.

The Idealist: Jeffrey Sachs and the quest to end poverty (M)
by Nina Munk

“Is it possible to end global poverty? How do theoretical solutions stand up against the realities of impoverished regions? Nina Munk takes an in-depth look at Jeffrey Sachs, celebrated economist and special advisor to the Secretary of the UN, and his experimental Millennium Villages project in Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.” 

Journey with No Maps: a life of P.K. Page (M)
by Sandra Djwa

“This is the first biography of P.K. Page, a brilliant 20th-century poet and fine artist, who becomes one of Canada’s best-loved and most influential writers. The product of over a decade’s research and writing, the book is both the captivating story of a remarkable woman and a major contribution to the study of Canada’s literary and artistic history”

The Juggler’s Children: a journey into family, legend and the genes that bind us (M)
by Carolyn Abraham

“Carolyn Abraham investigates her genealogy and two mysteries that have haunted her multi-racial family for over a century. Armed with DNA kits, she makes a genetic journey that turns up far more than she bargained for, including ugly truths and moral quandaries. Her book tackles profound questions around genetics and reveals our common family tree.”

The Memory of Water (M)
by Allen Smutylo

“Over the last 40 years, Canadian adventurer, writer and artist Allen Smutylo has experienced some of the wildest and most captivating waters imaginable in all corners of the globe. These 10 short stories, all accompanied by the author’s own stunning artwork, describe his adventures in the Arctic, South Pacific, Great Lakes region and India.”


Projection: encounters with my runaway mother (M)
by Priscila Uppal 

“Abandoned in childhood, Priscila Uppal reunites with her long lost mother after a 20-year absence. This brutally honest memoir takes a probing look at one very unusual mother-daughter relationship, yet offers genuine comfort to all those facing their own turbulent and unresolved familial relationships.”