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Canada Council for the Arts · award year

Governor General's Literary Awards 2025

The 2025 Governor General's Literary Awards went to Rise, Red River by Tara Beagan (Drama), Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards (Fiction) and How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameron (Non-fiction), with winners in 4 more categories. 35 books were finalists across 7 categories.

Winners

Drama

  1. Rise, Red River by Tara Beagansource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwardssource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameronsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Wellwater by Karen Soliesource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. Uiesh / Somewhere by Joséphine Bacon, translated by Jessica Mooresource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books

  1. This Land is a Lullaby by Tonya Simpson and Delreé Dumontsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. Tig by Heather Smithsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Drama

  1. Downed Hearts by Catherine Bankssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Fall on Your Knees by Alisa Palmer and Hannah Moscovitchsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Little Pretty and The Exceptional by Anusree Roysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Ministry of Grace by Tara Beagansource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Endling by Maria Revasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Hi, It’s Me by Fawn Parkersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Juiceboxers by Benjamin Hertwigsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. real ones by katherena vermettesource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey by Teresa Wongsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Searching for Serafim: The Life and Legacy of Serafim “Joe” Fortes by Ruby Smith Díazsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse: A Memoir by Vinh Nguyensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. What to Feel, How to Feel by Shane Neilsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. 10:10 by Michael Trusslersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dante's Inferno: A new translation by Lorna Goodisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Island by Douglas Walbourne-Goughsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Shadow Price by Farah Ghafoorsource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. Baldwin, Styron, and Me by Mélikah Abdelmoumen, translated by Catherine Khordocsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Farida by Monia Mazigh, translated by Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. May Our Joy Endure by Kevin Lambert, translated by Donald Winklersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Muybridge by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Dascher and Rob Aspinallsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books

  1. Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharpsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. It Bears Repeating by Tanya Tagaq and Cee Pootoogooksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Oasis by Guojingsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Rock and the Butterfly by Kathy Stinson and Brooke Kerrigansource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. A Drop in the Ocean by Léa Tarantosource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Beast by Richard Van Campsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Best of all Worlds by Kenneth Oppelsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Outsmarters by Deborah Ellissource (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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