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Governor General's Literary Awards 2010

The 2010 Governor General's Literary Awards went to Cats’ Night Out by Jon Klassen (Children's Literature – Illustration), Afterimage by Robert Chafe (Drama) and Cool Water by Dianne Warren (Fiction), with winners in 4 more categories. 35 books were finalists across 7 categories.

Winners

Children's Literature – Illustration

  1. Cats’ Night Out by Jon Klassensource (opens in a new tab)

Drama

  1. Afterimage by Robert Chafesource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Cool Water by Dianne Warrensource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. Lakeland: Journeys into the Soul of Canada by Allan Caseysource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Boxing the Compass by Richard Greenesource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. Forests by Wajdi Mouawad, translated by Linda Gaboriausource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. Fishtailing by Wendy Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Children's Literature – Illustration

  1. I Know Here by Matt Jamessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Owls See Clearly at Night: a Michif alphabet / Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: l’alfabet di Michif by Julie Flettsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Quiet Book by Renata Liwskasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Uirapurú: based on a Brazilian legend by Kristi Bridgemansource (opens in a new tab)

Drama

  1. Courageous by Michael Healeysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Scratch by Charlotte Corbeil-Colemansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Such Creatures by Judith Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. lady in the red dress by David Yeesource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Annabel by Kathleen Wintersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Room by Emma Donoghuesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Waiting for Joe by Sandra Birdsellsource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. A History of Marriage by Elizabeth Abbottsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Burmese Lessons: A Love Story by Karen Connellysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968-2000 by John Englishsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Boy in the Moon: A Father’s Search for His Disabled Son by Ian Brownsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. &: A Serial Poem by Daryl Hinesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Circus by Michael Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Deepwater Vee by Melanie Siebertsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Exploding into Night by Sandy Poolsource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. High-Wire Summer by Louise Dupré, translated by Liedewy Hawkesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. On the Proper Use of Stars by Dominique Fortier, translated by Sheila Fischmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Blue Notebook by Michel Tremblay, translated by Sheila Fischmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Breakwater House by Pascale Quiviger, translated by Lazer Lederhendlersource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barbersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Me, Myself and Ike by K.L. Denmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Scars by Cheryl Rainfieldsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Tyranny by Lesley Fairfieldsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Governor General's Literary Awards

English-language categories only. Winners and finalists 2006-2024 come from the Canada Council's past winners and finalists archive, which renders https://ggbooks.ca/Areas/GGBooks/json/ggbooks-data-compressed-2025-09-18.json; 2025 comes from the Canada Council finalists and winners press releases. Year is the award year. Category names follow the archive: the illustration category was Children's Literature – Illustration through 2014. Illustration rows credit whoever the archive credits (the illustrator alone before 2015, writer and illustrator after). The archive credits only translators, so original authors of translated books come from Wikipedia's Governor General's Award for French to English translation page.

Organization: Canada Council for the Arts. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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