I know most of us don’t have time to read for pleasure. Maybe you fit some reading in over the holidays or gave books as gifts. I, however, surged through numerous novels to the tune of my fellow English majors singing whistle while you work. With a stack of five books waiting for me, I considered which to read first. The thinnest one. Start off smoothly? The thickest one. Might as well plunge headfirst. But, the longer I deliberated and studied the book jackets, the more I wondered how influential prize winning stickers are when deciding which book to pick up. Whether you’re looking for an Oprah’s Book Club blessing or an insightful forward from Hemingway, why not buy Canadian?
Thanks to a mysterious and generous donation, the English graduating class received a copy of Joseph Boyden’s 2008 Giller Prize winning book, Through Black Spruce. The prestigious Canadian award may not be immediately recognized by everyone; perhaps this even applies to other awards, such as the Booker or Pulitzer. But, just because you can’t add “Obama” as a suffix or prefix, doesn’t mean literature isn’t news. The Giller Prize, founded in 1994 in honour of the literary journalist Doris Giller, provides accolades for the best Canadian fiction each year. Created by her husband, Jack Rabinovitch, the award is Canada’s largest financial compensation for fiction. Boyden’s critically-acclaimed book traces the lines of contemporary Aboriginal Canadian life and fills in the history of northern Ontario and contemporary multiculturalism. Boyden draws attention to the representation of native voices in North America. The acknowledgement of the continued internalization of colonial oppression somehow made me proud to be Canadian.
Let me explain. The fact that the Giller Prize can recognize the limitations of multiculturalism in Canada and bestow an award in recognition that art and literature can make Canada a more diverse place is honest and refreshing. Although Canada isn’t perfect, we can be proud of the literature that’s produced. Book awards are a beneficial way of determining what title to read, but for every book that’s published, there were a thousand that weren’t, and their perspectives are just as meaningful to the Canadian experience. Aboriginal literature is often marginalized from the mainstream, which demonstrates Boyden’s ability to capture northern Ontario native culture while integrating it into the capitalist landscapes of Toronto, Montreal and New York City. Boyden worked within the system to give a group of contemporary Aboriginals a voice that is often uned for in the canon of Canadian literature. I am, by no means, essentializing the experiences of native groups, but commending Boyden and the Giller Prize for commemorating Through Black Spruce in a way that is meaningful to Canada.
Literary awards serve two purposes: to recognize the achievements of writers and stamp a sticker on the covers of novels to make them more widely read. When you pick up a Giller Prize-winning book, you know it’s of the highest quality and relevance to Canadians.
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