Reference

The history of the Governor General’s Literary Awards has been the history of Canada itself. Winning books have influenced Canada as much as Canada has influenced them. They have included many of Canada’s best works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama.

These are the words we have chosen to remember. They are the stories that have touched our imagination. They are the rhymes we teach our children as we drive to the beach in the summer. They are the artwork we share with our grandchildren as we sit by a warm winter fire. In peacetime and in war, they have taught us our history. In good times and bad, they have given us glimpses into our future. Over the decades, they have helped us discover who we are and where we have come from. They have introduced us to our neighbours and helped us bridge our two solitudes. Generation after generation, they have given voice to a nation’s dreams and aspirations, and they have done it with grace and wit and learning and style. These are the books that have won the Governor General’s Literary Awards of Canada.