Here’s the rundown of this year’s nominees and winners for some of the biggest literary prizes and awards:
International Prizes
Canadian Prizes
American Prizes
British Prizes
INTERNATIONAL
The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to 113 Nobel Laureates since 1901. Click on the links to get more information.
- The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob Dylan in 2016.
To view a list of past winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, go here.
The Man Booker Prize promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. The prize is the world’s most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and publishers.
The Man Booker Prize 2016 Longlist:
- The Sellout – Paul Beatty
- Hot Milk – Deborah Levy
- His Bloody Project – Graeme Macrae Burnet
- All That Man Is – David Szalay
- Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
- My Name Is Lucy Barton – Elizabeth Strout
- The Schooldays of Jesus – J.M. Coetzee
- Serious Sweet – A.L. Kennedy
- The North Water – Ian McGuire
- The Many – Wyl Menmuir
- Hystopia – David Means
- Work Like Any Other – Virginia Reeves
- Eileen – Ottessa Moshfegh
The Man Booker Prize 2016 Shortlist:
- The Sellout – Paul Beatty
- Hot Milk – Deborah Levy
- His Bloody Project – Graeme Macrae Burnet
- Eileen – Ottessa Moshfegh
- All That Man Is – David Szalay
- Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
The Man Booker Prize 2016 Winner:
The Sellout – Paul Beatty
To view a list of past winners, go here.
The Man Booker Prize International 2016 Longlist:
- A General Theory of Oblivion – José Eduardo Agualusa (Angola)
- The Story of the Lost Child – Elena Ferrante (Italy)
- The Vegetarian – Han Kang (South Korea)
- Mend the Living – Maylis de Kerangal (France)
- Man Tiger – Eka Kurniawan (Indonesia)
- The Four Books – Yan Lianke (China)
- Tram 83 – Fiston Mwanza Mujila (Democratic Republic of Congo/Austria)
- A Cup of Rage – Raduan Nassar (Brazil)
- Ladivine – Marie NDiaye (France)
- Death by Water – Kenzaburō Ōe (Japan)
- White Hunger – Aki Ollikainen (Finland)
- A Strangeness in My Mind – Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)
- A Whole Life – Robert Seethaler (Austria)
The Man Booker Prize International 2016 Shortlist:
- A General Theory of Oblivion – José Eduardo Agualusa (Angola)
- The Story of the Lost Child – Elena Ferrante (Italy)
- The Vegetarian – Han Kang (South Korea)
- A Strangeness in My Mind – Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)
- A Whole Life – Robert Seethaler (Austria)
- The Four Books – Yan Lianke (China)
The Man Booker Prize International Winner:
The Vegetarian – Han Kang (South Korea)
CANADIAN
The Giller Prize was founded in 1994 by Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller, who passed away from cancer the year before. The award recognized excellence in Canadian fiction – long format or short stories – and endowed a cash prize annually of $25,000.00, the largest purse for literature in the country.
Scotiabank Giller Prize 2016 Longlist:
- 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl – Mona Awad
- Yiddish for Pirates – Gary Barwin
- Pillow – Andrew Battershill
- Stranger – David Bergen
- The Wonder – Emma Donoghue
- The Party Wall – Catherine Leroux
- The Two of Us – Kathy Page
- Death Valley – Susan Perly
- Willem De Kooning’s Paintbrush – Kerry Lee Powell
- By Gaslight – Stephen Price
- Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
- The Best Kind of People – Zoe Whittall
Scotiabank Giller Prize 2016 Shortlist
- 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl – Mona Awad
- Yiddish for Pirates – Gary Barwin
- The Wonder – Emma Donoghue
- The Party Wall – Catherine Leroux
- Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
- The Best Kind of People – Zoe Whittall
Scotiabank Giller Prize 2016 Winner
Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
For more Canadian literature of the season, check out Crazy for CanLit.
Governor General’s Literary Awards
As Canada’s national literary awards, the GGs represent the rich diversity of Canadian literature. Some 1,600 books are submitted each year from English and French-language publishers representing authors, translators and illustrators from across Canada, in seven categories.
Governor General’s Literary Awards 2016 – English Winners
- Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
- The Waking Comes Late – Steven Heighton
- Pig Girl – Colleen Murphy
- A World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905 – Bill Waiser
- Calvin – Martine Leavitt
- Tokyo Digs A Garden – Jon-Erik Lappano and Kellen Hatanaka
- The Party Wall – Catherine Leroux
Governor General’s Literary Awards 2016 – English Winners
- Au péril de la mer – Dominique Fortier
- Le poème est une maison de bord de mer – Normand de Bellefeuille
- Inflammation du verbe vivre – Wajdi Mouawad
- Amerindia : essais d’ethnohistoire autochtone – Roland Viau
- Hare Krishna – François Gilbert
- Grand-père et la Lune – Stéphanie Lapointe and Rogé
- La destruction des Indiens des Plaines : maladies, famines organisées, disparition du mode de vie autochtone – James Daschuk
Search submitted titles here.
More information on the awards and countdown to next event can be found here.
Michael Ondaatje. Carol Shields. George Bowering. Robert Munsch. Susan Musgrave. Leon Rooke. Gail Anderson-Dargatz. Since 1979, the CBC Literary Prizes have recognized Canada’s brightest literary stars on the rise.
CBC Short Story Prize | CBC Creative Non-Fiction Prize | CBC Poetry Prize
The BC Book Prizes, established in 1985, celebrate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers. The seven Prizes are presented annually at the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala in the spring, with the winner of The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence being announced beforehand at the annual BC Book Prizes Soirée.
See a full list of winners and finalists here.
AMERICAN
The National Book Award is one of the nation’s most prestigious literary prizes and has a stellar record of identifying and rewarding quality writing. In 1950, William Carlos Williams was the first Winner in Poetry, the following year William Faulkner was honored in Fiction, and so on through the years. Many previous Winners of the National Book Award are now firmly established in the canon of American literature, such as Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, Jonathan Franzen, Denis Johnson, Joyce Carol Oates, and Adrienne Rich.
The National Book Award Finalists will be announced on October 14th; Winners will be announced at a gala dinner and ceremony in New York on November 18th. For more information on the Awards and a list of this year’s judges, visit www.nationalbook.org.
2016 Fiction
Longlist:
- Garth Greenwell, What Belongs to You
- Adam Haslett, Imagine Me Gone
- Elizabeth McKenzie, The Portable Veblen
- Lydia Millet, Sweet Lamb of Heaven
- Brad Watson, Miss Jane
- Chris Bachelder, The Throwback Special
- Paulette Jiles, News of the World
- Karan Mahajan, The Association of Small Bombs
- Jacqueline Woodson, Another Brooklyn
- Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad
Finalists:
- Chris Bachelder, The Throwback Special
- Paulette Jiles, News of the World
- Karan Mahajan, The Association of Small Bombs
- Jacqueline Woodson, Another Brooklyn
- Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad
Winner:
- Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad
2016 Non-Fiction
Longlist:
- Andrew J. Bacevich, America’s War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History
- Patricia Bell-Scott, The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice
- Adam Cohen, Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck
- Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
- Manisha Sinha, The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition
- Arlie Russell Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
- Viet Thanh Nguyen, Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War
- Andrés Reséndez, The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
- Heather Ann Thompson, Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy
- Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
Finalists:
- Arlie Russell Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
- Viet Thanh Nguyen, Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War
- Andrés Reséndez, The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
- Heather Ann Thompson, Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy
- Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
Winner:
Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
2016 Poetry
Longlist:
- Donald Hall, The Selected Poems of Donald Hall
- Donika Kelly, Bestiary
- Jane Mead, World of Made and Unmade
- Monica Youn, Blackacre
- Kevin Young, Blue Laws
- Rita Dove, Collected Poems 1974 – 2004
- Peter Gizzi, Archeophonics
- Jay Hopler, The Abridged History of Rainfall
- Solmaz Sharif, Look
- Daniel Borzutzky, The Performance of Becoming Human
Finalists:
- Rita Dove, Collected Poems 1974 – 2004
- Peter Gizzi, Archeophonics
- Jay Hopler, The Abridged History of Rainfall
- Solmaz Sharif, Look
- Daniel Borzutzky, The Performance of Becoming Human
Winner:
Daniel Borzutzky, The Performance of Becoming Human
2016 Young Adult
Longlist:
- Kwame Alexander, Booked
- Anna-Marie McLemore, When the Moon Was Ours
- Meg Medina, Burn Baby Burn
- Sara Pennypacker & Jon Klassen (Illustrator), Pax
- Caren Stelson, Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story
- Kate DiCamillo, Raymie Nightingale
- Grace Lin, When the Sea Turned to Silver
- Jason Reynolds, Ghost
- Nicola Yoon, The Sun Is Also a Star
- John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell (Artist), March: Book Three
Finalists:
- Kate DiCamillo, Raymie Nightingale
- Grace Lin, When the Sea Turned to Silver
- Jason Reynolds, Ghost
- Nicola Yoon, The Sun Is Also a Star
- John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell (Artist), March: Book Three
Winner:
John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell (Artist), March: Book Three
BRITISH
BAILEYS Women’s Prize for Fiction
One of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, the BAILEYS Women’s Prize for Fiction – previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction – celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world.
Longlist:
- A God In Ruins – Kate Atkinson (UK)
- Rush Oh! – Shirley Barrett (Australia)
- Ruby – Cynthia Bond (US)
- The Secret Chord – Geraldine Brooks (Australia/US)
- The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – Becky Chambers (US)
- A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding – Jackie Copleton (UK)
- Whispers Through a Megaphone – Rachel Elliott (UK)
- The Green Road – Anne Enright (Ireland)
- The Book of Memory – Petina Gappah (Zimbabwe)
- Gorsky – Vespa Goldsworthy (UK/Serbia)
- The Anatomist’s Dream – Clio Gray (UK)
- At Hawthorn Time – Melissa Harrison (UK)
- Pleasantville – Attica Locke (US)
- The Glorious Heresies – Lisa McInerney (Ireland)
- The Portable Veblen – Elizabeth McKenzie (US)
- Girl at War – Sara Nović (US)
- The House at the End of the World – Julia Rochester (UK)
- The Improbability of Love – Hanna Rothschild (UK)
- My Name is Lucy Barton – Elizabeth Strout (US)
- A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara (US)
Shortlist:
- Ruby – Cynthia Bond (US)
- The Green Road – Anne Enright (Ireland)
- The Glorious Heresies – Lisa McInerney (Ireland)
- The Portable Veblen – Elizabeth McKenzie (US)
- The Improbability of Love – Hanna Rothschild (UK)
- A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara (US)
Winner:
The Glorious Heresies – Lisa McInerney (Ireland)
The Desmond Elliott Prize is an annual award for a first novel written in English and published in the UK. Worth £10,000 to the winner, the prize is named after the literary agent and publisher, Desmond Elliott.
Longlist:
- The Trouble with Goats and Sheep – Joanna Cannon
- The Honours – Tim Clare
- The Butcher’s Hook – Janet Ellis
- Things We Have in Common – Tasha Kavanagh
- Mrs Engels – Gavin Mcrea
- The Glorious Heresies – Lisa McInerney
- The House at the Edge of the World – Julia Rochester
- The Weightless World – Anthoney Trevelyan
- Spill Simmer Falter Wither – Sara Baume
- Disclaimer – Reneé Knight
Shortlist:
- Mrs Engels – Gavin Mcrea
- The Glorious Heresies – Lisa McInerney
- The House at the Edge of the World – Julia Rochester
Winner:
The Glorious Heresies – Lisa McInerney
The National Book Awards showcases the best of British writing & publishing, whilst celebrating books with wide popular appeal, critical acclaim and commercial success. There are 11 categories. The awards are run by Cactus TV Ltd with developmental help from a cross-industry steering group.
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
The Award is given annually. The prize of €100,000 is awarded to the author of the winning book. However, if the winning book is in English translation, €75,000 is awarded to the author and €25,000 to the translator.
The Folio Prize is open to all works of fiction written in English and published in the UK. All genres and all forms of fiction are eligible. The format of first publication may be print or digital.
The Prize will be awarded in March for books published in the previous calendar year.
David Cohen Prize for Literature
Awarded biennially, this £40,000 prize recognises a lifetime’s achievement in literature, honouring a writer in the English language who is a citizen of the UK or the Republic of Ireland. The winner of the prize is nominated and selected by a panel of judges comprising authors, literary critics and academics. No shortlist is announced. The John S. Cohen Foundation finances the prize and the Arts Council England provides a further £12,500 for the Clarissa Luard Award, which the winner of the David Cohen Prize awards to a literature organisation that supports young writers or an individual writer under the age of 35. Founded 1991. (source)
The Costa Book Awards is one of the UK’s most prestigious and popular literary prizes and recognises some of the most enjoyable books of the year, written by authors based in the UK and Ireland.
Since their launch in 1971, the awards have rewarded a wide range of excellent books and authors across all genres.
Uniquely, the prize has five categories – First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book – with one of the five winning books selected as the overall Costa Book of the Year. It is the only prize which places children’s books alongside adult books in this way.
Books are entered by publishers, and entry for the Awards closes at the end of June each year. Entry forms are available to download here from the end of May.
Launched in 2006, the annual International Dylan Thomas Prize is one of the most prestigious awards for young writers, aimed at encouraging raw creative talent worldwide. It celebrates and nurtures international literary excellence.
