Without fail, the winner of the annual Scotiabank Giller Prize becomes a household name in Canada. Those shortlisted also step into the proverbial CanLit Hall of Fame, their titles splashed across best-of lists for good reason. No wonder the Giller shortlist has become a staple of many bibliophiles’ reading lists. We’re delighted to celebrate these visionary authors to kick off the Festival with the cross-Canada Between the Pages tour.

The authors on the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist are:

• Sarah Bernstein for her novel Study For Obedience, published by Knopf Canada
• Eleanor Catton for her novel Birnam Wood, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Kevin Chong for his novel The Double Life of Benson Yu, published by Simon & Schuster
• Dionne Irving for her short story collection, The Islands: Stories, published by Catapult
• CS Richardson for his novel All The Colour in the World, published by Knopf Canada

We’re joined in Vancouver by Kevin Chong, Dionne Irving, and CS Richardson. Although shortlisted authors Eleanor Catton and Sarah Bernstein are unfortunately unable to travel back to Canada for this event, two surprise guests will take the stage to represent their books!

Moderated by Leslie Hurtig.

ASL Interpretation will be provided at this event.

Presented in partnership with the Scotiabank Giller Prize.