Best Books of the Year
Menu

Canada Council for the Arts · award year

Governor General's Literary Awards 2017

The 2017 Governor General's Literary Awards went to Indian Arm by Hiro Kanagawa (Drama), We'll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night by Joel Thomas Hynes (Fiction) and The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State by Graeme Wood (Non-fiction), with winners in 4 more categories. 35 books were finalists across 7 categories.

Winners

Drama

  1. Indian Arm by Hiro Kanagawasource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. We'll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night by Joel Thomas Hynessource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State by Graeme Woodsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. On Not Losing My Father's Ashes in the Flood by Richard Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. Readopolis by Bertrand Laverdure, translated by Oana Avasilichioaeisource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books

  1. When We Were Alone by David Alexander Robertson and Julie Flettsource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimalinesource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Drama

  1. 1979 by Michael Healeysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Robert Chafesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Virgin Trial by Kate Hennigsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Within the Glass by Anna Chattertonsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. All the Beloved Ghosts by Alison MacLeodsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Lost in September by Kathleen Wintersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Water Beetles by Michael Kaansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Uncertain Weights and Measures by Jocelyn Parrsource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. All We Leave Behind: A Reporter's Journey into the Lives of Others by Carol Offsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Handover: How Bigwigs and Bureaucrats Transferred Canada's Best Publisher and the Best Part of our Literary Heritage to a Foreign Multinational by Elaine Dewarsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Where I Live Now: A Journey through Love and Loss to Healing and Hope by Sharon Butalasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Where It Hurts by Sarah de Leeuwsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. All the Names Between by Julia McCarthysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Selah by Nora Gouldsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Slow War by Benjamin Hertwigsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. What the Soul Doesn't Want by Lorna Croziersource (opens in a new tab)

Translation (French to English)

  1. Brothers by David Clerson, translated by Katia Grubisicsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. In Search of New Babylon by Dominique Scali, translated by W. Donald Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Social Myths and Collective Imaginaries by Gérard Bouchard, translated by Howard Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Longest Year by Daniel Grenier, translated by Pablo Strausssource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books

  1. Short Stories for Little Monsters by Marie-Louise Gaysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk by Jan Thornhillsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz and Sydney Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. When the Moon Comes by Paul Harbridge and Matt Jamessource (opens in a new tab)

Young People's Literature – Text

  1. Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullmansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Hit the Ground Running by Alison Hughessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Way Back Home by Allan Strattonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Those Who Run in the Sky by Aviaq Johnstonsource (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)

The most recommended books of 2017

Shares the most books with