TORONTO 聴 Acclaimed Calgary humorist Will Ferguson captured sa国际传媒聮s most lucrative literary prize on Tuesday night, winning the $50,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel 419.
聯I聮d like to raise a toast to the written word,聰 the kilt-wearing Ferguson said as he accepted the award, pulling out a flask.
聯So. Thanks. Ladies and gentlemen: To the written word. And finally, to answer the question you聮re all wondering 聴 yes I have something on underneath!聰
Ferguson聮s winning novel, about an email scam, marked a serious turn for the comedic writer, who has written a dozen books ranging from budget travel guides to works of literary fiction.
Penning a more serious work clearly didn聮t cause Ferguson, 48, to lose any of his satiric edge.
Earlier in the night, when asked about the lavish praise the Giller judging panel has heaped on 419, he quipped: 聯I think that means they suspect I have incriminating photographs of (them), which I don聮t.聰
His book was up against titles by Montreal-bred authors Nancy Richler, Alix Ohlin and Kim Thuy.
Rounding out the Giller short list was Russell Wangersky of St. John聮s.
With a short list chock-full of newcomers, this year聮s Giller was said to be a wide open race.
Some of the nominees sounded downright dazed to be included at the glitzy awards show.
Wangersky, who attended the black-tie bash with his editor-wife Leslie Vryenhoek, found the experience 聯very, very strange.聰
聯It聮s a long way from working in your kitchen and making sure the cat聮s water dish is full, which is more like what writers deal with,聰 said the journalist, nominated for his short story collection Whirl Away.
聯(These aren聮t) my clothes 聴 it聮s my shoes and my bow tie and the rest of it is someone else聮s stuff. It聮s very, very different.聰
Ohlin聮s Inside 聴 about a group of characters trying to help each other 聴 is also up for the $25,000 Rogers Writers聮 Trust of sa国际传媒 fiction prize. The author 聴 who was raised in Montreal and is now a professor of creative writing at Lafayette College in Easton, Penn., 聴 said the nominations have helped readers find her work.
聯I聮m not someone that anyone had ever heard very much about in sa国际传媒 up until now, so the idea that anyone is talking about the books at all, or reading them or emailing me about it, it聮s very new and it feels very wonderful.聰
Hosted for the second year in a row by CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi, the show 聴 broadcast from the Ritz Carlton 聴 featured presentations from actress Kim Cattrall, gold medallist Rosie MacLennan and actor Allan Hawco.
Established in 1994 by businessman Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller, the prize celebrates the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English. Finalists receive $5,000.
This year聮s jury members 聴 Roddy Doyle of Ireland, Gary Shteyngart of New York, and Toronto-based Anna Porter 聴 read 142 works of fiction submitted by 51 publishing houses from across sa国际传媒.
