Literary Awards Hangover: 2015 Edition

Another year, another slew of awards, another night of regrets crawling into bed with books you barely know. With ties draped around our necks and neglected mascara gone semi-permanent, we bring you our favourite column on our worst feeling: the literary award hangover. Last year, we paired each shortlisted nominee of the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Giller Prize with what to read next; this year, we slept late, slept AGAIN in whatever filthy combination of foodstuffs “breakfast poutine” is, and then came up with this infographic that will helpfully point you to your next two reads, based on your favourite nominee, as soon as you’re feeling you can brave the day.*NOTE: While we didn’t feature the Governor General’s Awards in this round of hungovery-goodness, we highly recommend you head to our Book List of all the nominated titles from the GG’s, the Writers’ Trust, and the Giller that All Lit Up is so proud to host on our pages this year.

INDEXRogers Writers’ Trust Fiction PrizeWINNER: Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis (Coach House Books) NEXT UP:

• Shakespeare’s Dog by Rick Chafe (Playwrights Canada Press) 
• What Species of Creatures by Sharon Kirsch (New Star Books) 

 NOMINEE: His Whole Life by Elizabeth Hay (McClelland & Stewart)NEXT UP:

• Every Happy Family by Dede Crane (Coteau Books) 
• The Mystics of Mile End by Sigal Samuel (Freehand Books) 

 NOMINEE: Red Jacket by Pamela Mordecai (TAP Books)NEXT UP:

• What Belongs by F.B. Andre (Ronsdale Press) 
• Subversive Sonnets by Pamela Mordecai (Mawenzi House) 

NOMINEE: Confidence by Russell Smith (Biblioasis) NEXT UP:

• The Secrets Men Keep by Mark Sampson (Now or Never Publishing) 
• Urban Legend by Jerry Levy (Thistledown Press) 

 NOMINEE: The Jaguar’s Children by John Vaillant (Knopf Canada)NEXT UP:

• Hallucinations in the Alfalfa by Griselda Garcia (Wolsak & Wynn) 
• Grand Menteur by Jean Marc Ah-Sen (BookThug) 

 The Scotiabank Giller PrizeWINNER (again!!!): Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis (Coach House Books) NEXT UP:

• Shakespeare’s Dog by Rick Chafe (Playwrights Canada Press) 
• What Species of Creatures by Sharon Kirsch (New Star Books) 

 NOMINEE: Arvida by Samuel Archibald, translated by Donald Winkler (Biblioasis) NEXT UP:

• Stony Point by S. Noel McKay (Inanna Publications) 
• All This Town Remembers by Sean Johnston (Gaspereau Press) 

 NOMINEE: Outline by Rachel Cusk (Harper Perennial)NEXT UP:

• The Dreamlife of Bridges by Robert Strandquist (Anvil Press) 
• Whatever Lola Wants by George Szanto (Brindle & Glass) 

 NOMINEE: Daydreams of Angels by Heather O’Neill (HarperCollins Publishers)NEXT UP:

• How You Were Born by Kate Cayley (Pedlar Press) 
• Tango on the Main by Joe Fiorito (Signature Editions) 

 NOMINEE: Martin John by Anakana Schofield (Biblioasis) NEXT UP:

• Blind Spot by Laurence Miall (NeWest Press) 
• For Your Own Good by Leah Horlick (Caitlin Press)