Sheila Heti has won the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction for her novel Pure Colour.
The Governor General’s Literary Awards are among Canada’s oldest and most prestigious prizes for literature. There are seven categories, awarded in both French and English, with $25,000 going to each winning book.
The seven categories are: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, translation, young people’s literature — text and young people’s literature — illustrated books.
Books published between Aug. 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022 were eligible for the 2022 awards. The finalists and winners are chosen by a peer assessment committee for each category.
Pure Colour is a funny exploration of the wonderful and terrible aspects of being alive. It posits that our life is the first draft of a work of art, and God is about to toss it all and start over.
“In my book, like any artist, God is trying to make something that he’s proud of, something beautiful, something that works, something that holds together, that’s satisfying for its audience. What I was thinking about when I started writing the book is why, on the one hand, the experience of being alive is so magical and wondrous and beautiful and incredible and what a gift to be here, and, at the same time, every day is full of frustrations and all one can do is complain all the time,” she said in an interview with David Common on The Sunday Magazine.
“I was trying to reconcile those two things, the majesty of being alive with the fact that we’re constantly complaining and disappointed.”
LISTEN | Sheila Heti discusses Pure Colour with David Common:
The Sunday Magazine16:43In Pure Colour, writer Sheila Heti uses humour to tackle the challenges of modern life
In her new novel Pure Colour, Canadian author Sheila Heti explores the idea that the world is an unfinished work of art, whose creator is getting ready to scrap and start over… because the first draft just didn’t cut it. David Common speaks with Heti about the book’s themes of grief, climate change and the human condition, along with the personal loss that shaped its narrative.
Residential school survivor Eli Baxter won the nonfiction category for his memoir, Aki-Wayn-Zih. He brings together thousands of years of history with his personal story, exploring the importance of spirituality, language, history and of sharing stories.
Halifax writer Annick MacAskill won the poetry category for her collection Shadow Blight, which explores the grief and loneliness of pregnancy loss.
The Piano Teacher: A Healing Key, which is about the power of music in the wake of grief, by Vancouver playwright, composer and sound designer Dorothy Dittrich won the drama category.
Los Angeles-based Canadian writer Jen Ferguson won the young people’s literature — text category for her YA novel The Summer of Bitter and Sweet while the duo of Toronto writer Naseem Hrab and Montreal illustrator Nahid Kazemi won the young people’s literature — illustrated books category for their picture book The Sour Cherry Tree.
The Governor General’s Literary Awards were created in 1936. Past winners include Thomas King, Madeleine Thien, Michael Ondaatje, Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood.
The Canada Council for the Arts is a partner of the CBC Literary Prizes. The CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January, the CBC Poetry Prize will open in April and the CBC Short Story Prize will open in September.
Keep reading to learn more about the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award English-language winners.
Pure Colour follows a woman named Mira, who leaves home for school and meets a person named Annie. Annie has this power over Mira and opens her chest like a portal. Many years later when Mira is older, her father dies and his spirit passes into her. Together, they become a leaf on a tree. But when photosynthesis gets boring, Mira must choose whether or not to return to Annie and the human world she has left behind. Pure Colour is a funny exploration of the wonderful and terrible aspects of being alive.
Pure Colour was also on the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist.
Sheila Heti is a Canadian playwright and author whose work has been translated in over a dozen languages. Her novel Motherhood was on the shortlist for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize. She is also the author of the novels Ticknor and How Should a Person Be? and the self-help book The Chairs Are Where the People Go.
“Pure Colour is a work of genius, juxtaposing the profound and the everyday to tell the story of Mira struggling with the death of her beloved father. In familiar yet philosophical language, Heti presents art-making, love, and solitude in a stunningly original work. Renewing our sense of the world-changing power of art, the writing is gorgeous, poetic, funny and ‘more than here,'” the jury said in a statement.
The fiction category was assessed by Norma Dunning, Thea Lim and John Steffler.
Residential school survivor Eli Baxter is among the last fluent speakers of Anishinaabaymowin, an Anishinaabay language. In Aki-Wayn-Zih, Baxter looks at the history of the Anishinaabayg and their relationship with the land since the beginning of their life on Turtle Island. He brings together thousands of years of history with his personal story, growing up on the land, trapping and fishing, and his experience being forced to attend residential school. Aki-Wayn-Zih is about the importance of spirituality, language, history and of sharing stories.
Baxter is a residential school survivor and certified Ontario teacher. Aki-wayn-zih is his first book.
“Eli Baxter’s indelible memoir, Aki-wayn-zih, takes readers deep into Anishinaabay culture, language and history to reveal a rich and complex world, while showing how the link between language and land is crucial for survival and growth. At a time when he worries that the fires of Indigenous languages are going out, his simple and beautiful book, written across languages, cultures, and generations, radiates a radical kind of hope,” the jury said in a statement.
The nonfiction category was assessed by Will Aitken, Madhur Anand and Jenna Butler.
Drawing on ancient mythology, Shadow Blight explores the grief and loneliness of pregnancy loss. Interweaving contemporary experience with mythological stories, Annick MacAskill gives new language to often unspeakable pain.
MacAskill lives in Halifax, where she teaches French language and literature at Saint Mary’s University. Her poetry collections include Murmurations and No Meeting Without Body, which was nominated for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award and shortlisted for the J.M. Abraham Award.
“MacAskill brings the mythological Niobe back from the contempt of history to play the role of emissary. It is a book about how mothers become what they love, as well as a survival story: how not to turn to stone. The stolen child haunts the lines, a deep defiance burdened by hope. This rare achievement combines formal poetic mastery with honesty and vulnerability,” the jury said in a statement.
The poetry category was assessed by Joe Denham, Stewart Donova and Aisha Sasha John.
The Piano Teacher: A Healing Key is a play about a classic pianist named Erin who, after an unexpected and tremendous loss, struggles to make music. When she encounters a new piano teacher, she learns to reconnect with her creativity, deal with her grief and give herself compassion and love.
Dorothy Dittrich is a playwright, sound designer and composer who currently lives in Vancouver. Her other plays include The Dissociates, Lesser Demons, Two Part Invention and If the Moon Fall. She also created the musical When We Were Singing.
“Moving and compelling. With this gorgeously written play, Dittrich has accomplished the remarkable. She brilliantly delves into a multi-layered exploration of love, loss, isolation and friendship, reaching beyond words to reveal the healing and redemptive power of music. She holds our hand on an unexpected journey through grief towards hope,” the jury said in a statement.
The drama category was assessed by Keith Barker, Marie Leofeli Romero Barlizo and Alex Poch Goldin.
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet is a YA novel about a young Métis girl living on the Canadian prairies. Lou is spending the summer working at her family’s failing frozen treats business with her newly ex-boyfriend. When an old friend unexpectedly comes back to town after three years away — and her biological father sends her a letter wanting to reconnect — Lou is suddenly faced with more challenges than she might be able to handle.
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet is for ages 13 and up.
Jen Ferguson is a Los Angeles-based author, activist and academic of Michif/Métis and Canadian settler heritage based in Los Angeles. Ferguson has a PhD in English and creative writing. Her work includes the 2016 novel Border Markers and her essay Off Balance was featured in Best Canadian Essays 2020. The Summer of Bitter and Sweet is her debut YA novel.
“A timely novel that flows from the author’s Métis and Canadian roots, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet features vibrant prose, real family conflict and a raw and evocative commentary on the struggles of being different in a small-town, prairie setting. Touching on subjects that speak to today’s challenges for 2SLGBTQI+ youth, the complex story delivers an emotional impact. The recipe notes about ice cream add a scoop of sweetness to level out Lou’s sometimes bitter realities,” the jury said in a statement.
The young people’s literature — text category was assessed by Michael Hutchinson, Sharon Jennings and Wesley King.
The Sour Cherry Tree is a look at the loss of a loved one through the eyes of a child. Based on author Naseem Hrab’s own memories, this picture book looks at grief, love and culture to explore death and dying.
The Sour Cherry Tree is for ages 4 to 8.
Hrab is a Toronto-based writer and storyteller. She is also the author of Ira Crumb Makes a Pretty Good Friend and Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings. Her picture book Weekend Dad was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Literary Prize for young people’s literature — illustrated books.
Nahid Kazemi is an artist, illustrator, graphic designer and author from Montreal. Her other books include I’m Glad That You’re Happy, The Orange House and Over the Rooftops, Under the Moon by JonArno Lawson.
“A moving reflection of love and loss through the eyes of a child, The Sour Cherry Tree is a tender story about family and culture that is portrayed with subtlety and thoughtfulness. Memories of childhood and bereavement feel tangible and are softened by Kazemi’s gentle artistry. Hrab and Kazemi’s work evokes the depth of love we share through little gestures. This beautifully crafted book will linger long after you have finished reading,” the jury said in a statement.
The young people’s literature — illustrated books category was assessed by Kate Beaton, Nhung N. Tran-Davies and Frank Viva.
This nonfiction work is a historical look at the presence of Jews in Quebec dating back four centuries. History of the Jews in Quebec examines how Jewish communities in Montreal and throughout Quebec have grown and evolved due to global migration — and highlights the contributions and achievements made by Jewish people in the region.
Pierre Anctil is a Canadian author and history professor at the University of Ottawa. His work focuses on the history of Montreal’s Jewish community and on the current debates on cultural pluralism in Canada. His work includes Jacob Isaac Segal: A Montreal Yiddish Poet and His Milieu and A Reluctant Welcome for Jewish People.
Judith Weisz Woodsworth is a Canadian translator and professor at Concordia University. She has published widely on the history and theory of translation and has translated novels by Quebec authors Pierre Nepveu and Abla Farhoud.
“Judith Weisz Woodsworth’s flawless translation renders Pierre Anctil’s formidable socio-historical work accessible to an English-speaking audience. It replicates the engaging style of the original with enthusiasm and rigour. Weisz Woodsworth fully captures the scholarly but compelling prose of this essential overview. Her translation of the extensive documentation is equally masterful,” the jury said in a statement.
The French-to-English translation category was assessed by Anita Anand, Chantal Bilodeau and Steven Urquhart.
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