Between the Pages: Up Close and Personal with the Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalists

Between the Pages is set to kick off the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize in celebration of the best in Canadian literature in 2016. To make this highly sought after event more accessible to book lovers across the country, Scotiabank and the Giller Prize created Between the Pages, an intimate, yet powerful opportunity to get to know the shortlisted authors. “Between the Pages: Up Close and Personal with the Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalists brings the magic of the Scotiabank Giller Prize to book lovers from coast to coast, giving audiences the chance to hear directly from the finalists as the words of their nominated books come alive on the stage,” Jacquie Ryan, Vice President of Sponsorships of Scotiabank, explains.

Between the Pages launched in Halifax on October 14th, followed by Vancouver on October 17th. After crossing the country, Between the Pages: Up Close and Personal with the Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalists returns to Toronto on November 6, 2016, a day before the winner of this year’s award is announced. Live on stage from Koerner Hall, book lovers will witness the six outstanding finalists in an afternoon of thought-provoking discussions hosted by Albert Schultz, the Founding Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company and actor.

The Giller Prize was founded by Jack Rabinovitch in 1994 in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller, to recognize excellence in Canadian fiction. In 2005, the Giller Prize teamed up with Scotiabank to create the Scotiabank Giller Prize. This partnership could not be more perfect. “Scotiabank has a deep and long-time commitment in supporting arts and culture in Canada, and to extend the accessibility of the arts to a broader audience,” says Ryan of Scotiabank’s commitment to this annual award.

Since then Scotiabank has worked closely with Jack Rabinovitch and Executive Director, Elana Rabinovitch, in celebrating Canadian literature by promoting and supporting talented Canadian fiction writers across the country. With Scotiabank as the title sponsor, the award has seen an increase in the prize purse from $25,000 in 1994 to $70,000 in 2008 and finally to a staggering $140,000 in 2014 to support and reward Canadian works. The Scotiabank Giller Prize has been described as “The Oscars of the book world, and Between the Pages is the ultimate event to go up close and get to know what inspires the finalists to create and write such extraordinary pieces of literature,” explains Barry Avrich, producer of Between the Pages and Scotiabank Giller Prize Broadcast.

Between the Pages is a great opportunity for fans of Canadian literature to experience a rare and intimate conversation with these writers as they provide intriguing insight into each of their works, characters and themes. The six finalists for the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize in attendance are:

Mona Awad for her novel 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl
Mona Awad’s debut novel follows protagonist Lizzie in her struggle with her body image and gaining acceptance from her mother, friends, husband and ultimately herself.
 
 

Gary Barwin for his novel Yiddish for Pirates
Set in 1492, Gary Barwin’s novel takes readers on Moishe’s journey as he leaves home to join a ship’s crew and meets his companion, Aaron the parrot.
 
 
 

Emma Donoghue for her novel The Wonder
The Wonder is a thriller that tells the story of Anna O’Donnell’s long fast, and Lib, a nurse who is hired to keep watch over her, but may uncover a murder in the making.
 
 
 

Catherine Leroux for her novel The Party Wall, translated by Lazer Lederhendler
This novel takes the reader on an intriguing tale of four discrete pairs and how their stories are connected to one another, highlighting themes of identity and family.
 
 

Madeleine Thien for her novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing
Set in China during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, this is the story of three musicians’ struggle to remain loyal to each other and their music during China’s Cultural Revolution.
 
 

Zoe Whittall for her novel The Best Kind of People
The Best Kind of People tells the story of Gary Woodbury, a well-liked teacher and beloved husband and father who is arrested for sexual assault and the aftermath his family faces from the community.
 
 

Purchase your ticket for Between the Pages Toronto to get up close and personal with these talented Canadian authors. And make sure to tune in to the Scotiabank Giller Prize gala on Monday, November 7, hosted by Steve Patterson and broadcasted live at 9PM (EST) on CBC to find out who the 2016 winner is.