Books have a unique ability to deepen our understanding of the world and offer a lens through which to envision a better society. Ontario Creates, a provincial government agency known for its support of the creative industries, has announced the 16 finalists for this year’s Trillium Book Awards, an honour that includes several Toronto-based authors.
Entering its 38th year, the Trillium Book Award / Prix Trillium stands as Ontario’s foremost literary prize, celebrating excellence in English and French-language literature by Ontario authors. Winners will be announced on June 18, with finalists vying for prizes in categories including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s literature.
Among the Toronto-based poetry finalists are Faith Arkorful (The Seventh Town of Ghosts), Jake Byrne (DADDY), and Matthew Walsh (Terrarium). Likewise, the Toronto authors shortlisted in the English-language category of the Trillium Book Award include Colin Barrett (Wild Houses), Chido Muchemwa (Who Will Bury You? And Other Stories), and Maurice Vellekoop (I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together).
On the French-language side, Toronto finalists include Marie-Hélène Larochelle (Toronto jamais bleue) and Didier Leclair (Le prince africain, le traducteur et le nazi). In the Prix du livre jeunesse Trillium category, finalists include Eudes La Roche-Francoeur (Le roi Poubelle) and Mireille Messier (Le bonnet magique).
Ahead of the ceremony, some of Toronto’s literary talents told us what the nomination means to them.
“It’s so nice that the book resonated with enough people to be recognised by the institutions of my home province,” says Arkorful. “Thank you to the Trillium for the love. I hope with this acknowledgement that the book continues to reach more readers.”
Arkorful’s The Seventh Town of Ghosts is a collection of lyric poems that navigate grief, memory, and joy through the perspective of “a Black girl [who] learns to worship herself very early.”
Mireille Messier also reflected on what the recognition means to her as a children’s author. “As a proud Franco-Ontarian, I am honoured to be among this year’s finalists,” says Messier. “I have been writing for children for over 25 years and this is the first time that one of my books has been selected by the jury. Historically, picture books are very seldomly nominated for the Prix du livre jeunesse. For that reason, I am overjoyed that my book was deemed worthy of this honour. I hope that this nomination will help shine a light on all the great children’s literature that is being created in the province.”
Le bonnet magique tells the story of two children who search for the magical healing powers of gnomes when their beloved pet hedgehog falls ill.
“Some of Ontario’s most celebrated literary figures, Michael Ondaatje, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Margaret Atwood, and Dionne Brand have previously received the Trillium Book Award,” Karen Thorne-Stone, President and CEO of Ontario Creates, notes. “The award welcomes both emerging and established authors writing in English and French. This year’s finalists reflect a vibrant literary community, including a strong presence of LGBTQIA+ voices. They are in excellent company and represent a new generation of literary talent in a sector that contributes $980 million to Ontario’s economy and supports over 6,000 jobs.”
Winners of the Trillium Book Award will receive $20,000, while the recipient of the Trillium Book Award for Poetry will receive $10,000.
To view the full list of the distinguished finalists, visit the Ontario Creates website.
