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Canada Council for the Arts · award year

Governor General's Literary Awards 2016

The 2016 Governor General's Literary Awards went to Pig Girl by Colleen Murphy (Drama), Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien (Fiction) and A World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905 by Bill Waiser (Non-fiction), with winners in 4 more categories. 33 books were finalists across 7 categories.

Winners

Drama

  1. Pig Girl by Colleen Murphysource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thiensource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. A World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905 by Bill Waisersource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. The Waking Comes Late by Steven Heightonsource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. The Party Wall by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendlersource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books

  1. Tokyo Digs a Garden by Jon-Erik Lappano and Kellen Hatanakasource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. Calvin by Martine Leavittsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Drama

  1. A Man A Fish by Donna-Michelle St. Bernardsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Concord Floral by Jordan Tannahillsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Kill Me Now by Brad Frasersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Refuge by Mary Vingoesource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. The Break by Katherena Vermettesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Parcel by Anosh Iranisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Willem de Kooning's Paintbrush by Kerry Lee Powellsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Yiddish for Pirates by Gary Barwinsource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. Brown: What Being Brown in the World Today Means (To Everyone) by Kamal Al-Solayleesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Firewater: How Alcohol is Killing My People (and Yours) by Harold R. Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. In-Between Days: A Memoir About Living with Cancer by Teva Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World by Marc Raboysource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Marry & Burn by Rachel Rosesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Prairie Harbour by Garry Thomas Morsesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Regeneration Machine by Joe Denhamsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Throaty Wipes by Susan Holbrooksource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. Guano by Louis Carmain, translated by Rhonda Mullinssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Goddess of Fireflies by Geneviève Pettersen, translated by Neil Smithsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books

  1. A Hungry Lion or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals by Lucy Ruth Cumminssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Ooko by Esmé Shapirosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Branch by Mireille Messier and Pierre Prattsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart and Sydney Smithsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnstonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Once in a Town Called Moth by Trilby Kentsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Emperor of Any Place by Tim Wynne-Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Unquiet by Mikaela Everettsource (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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