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Canada Council for the Arts · award year

Governor General's Literary Awards 2006

The 2006 Governor General's Literary Awards went to Ancient Thunder by Leo Yerxa (Children's Literature – Illustration), I Still Love You by Daniel MacIvor (Drama) and The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrens (Fiction), with winners in 4 more categories. 35 books were finalists across 7 categories.

Winners

Children's Literature – Illustration

  1. Ancient Thunder by Leo Yerxasource (opens in a new tab)

Drama

  1. I Still Love You by Daniel MacIvorsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrenssource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism by Ross Kingsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Stumbling in the Bloom by John Passsource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. Vetiver by Joël Des Rosiers, translated by Hugh Hazeltonsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. Pirate’s Passage by William Gilkersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Children's Literature – Illustration

  1. Casey at the Bat by Joe Morsesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Earth Magic by Eugenie Fernandessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Let’s Go for a Ride by Maxwell Newhousesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Birdman by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daiglesource (opens in a new tab)

Drama

  1. Adapt or Die: Plays New and Used by Jason Shermansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Cast Iron by Lisa Codringtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. In a World Created by a Drunken God by Drew Hayden Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Optimists by Morwyn Brebnersource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. De Niro’s Game by Rawi Hagesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Gargoyles by Bill Gastonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Dodecahedron, or A Frame by Paul Glennonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Fearsome Particles by Trevor Colesource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. Starlight Tour: The Last, Lonely Night of Neil Stonechild by Susanne Reber and Robert Renaudsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Empire of Mind: Digital Piracy and the Anti-Capitalist Movement by Michael Strangelovesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Half-Lives of Pat Lowther by Christine Wiesenthalsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Hanging of Angélique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montréal by Afua Coopersource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Airstream Land Yacht by Ken Babstocksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Home of Sudden Service by Elizabeth Bachinskysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Inventory by Dionne Brandsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Good Bacteria by Sharon Thesensource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. A Threat from Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism by Yakov M. Rabkin, translated by Fred A. Reedsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bonbons Assortis / Assorted Candies by Michel Tremblay, translated by Linda Gaboriausource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Bicycle Eater by Larry Tremblay, translated by Sheila Fischmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Immaculate Conception by Gaetan Soucy, translated by Lazer Lederhendlersource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. Friendships by Budge Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Ingrid and the Wolf by André Alexissource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Me and the Blondes by Teresa Totensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen by Glen Husersource (opens in a new tab)

About the Governor General's Literary Awards

English-language categories only. Winners and finalists 2006-2024 come from the Canada Council's past winners and finalists archive, which renders https://ggbooks.ca/Areas/GGBooks/json/ggbooks-data-compressed-2025-09-18.json; 2025 comes from the Canada Council finalists and winners press releases. Year is the award year. Category names follow the archive: the illustration category was Children's Literature – Illustration through 2014. Illustration rows credit whoever the archive credits (the illustrator alone before 2015, writer and illustrator after). The archive credits only translators, so original authors of translated books come from Wikipedia's Governor General's Award for French to English translation page.

Organization: Canada Council for the Arts. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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