Add these 5 Canadian novels competing for the 2026 Giller Prize to your TBR

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Five Canadian novels have been shortlisted for the Giller Prize, one of Canada’s most prestigious literary awards. This year’s list includes a diverse group of authors exploring identity, family, history and belonging, making them worth adding to your to-be-read pile. 

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If you’re looking for your next page-turner, explore this year’s nominees below.  

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Read the books that made this year’s Giller Prize shortlist: 

Wild People Quiet, Tara Gereaux

Florence is a Métis woman living in 1946 Saskatchewan who has hidden her identity to secure a better life. Every week, she buys a bottle of hair bleach to keep up her appearance as a white woman living in a small town and working as a secretary in a local insurance office. As her past resurfaces and government plans affect the local community, she must decide whether to come forward or continue living the lie. Wild People Quiet takes on a pivotal moment in Canadian prairie history while keeping the story focused and personal. 

Where to buy:Amazon | Indigo

Eliza Sunshine, Michelle Good

Three generations of Cree women navigate the lasting impact of residential schools and intergenerational trauma. This novel explores healing across generations and how family stories preserve resilience and ensure survival. Filled with poignant moments of heartbreak, Eliza Sunshine takes on the legacy of residential schools and colonialism while keeping the family’s story front and centre. 

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Where to buy:Amazon | Indigo

Your Breath in Charcoal, Nicholas Herring

Knickle, a young Maritime drifter from Prince Edward Island, embarks on a road trip with the brother of an acquaintance he picks up from a mental health hospital. A coming-of-age novel filled with friendship and loss, Your Breath in Charcoal is set amidst cultural references of the 1990s as the pair try to build a new life in Toronto. 

Where to buy:Amazon | Indigo

The Small Ones, Nazanine Hozar

Set in the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980s, Amir is a boy caught in the struggle to survive and find freedom as a group of children is forced to become soldiers on the frontlines of a deadly conflict. The Small Ones is also about the relationships between fathers and sons, as Amir is set adrift to fend for himself and adults fail in their duty to protect the smallest casualties of war.

Where to buy:Amazon | Indigo

Good People, Patmeena Sabit

A seemingly perfect refugee family is rocked by a tragic event and long-buried tensions arise prompting questions about identity, reputation and truth. In Good People, the Sharaf family fled war-torn Afghanistan and resettled in a luxury North Virginia apartment where they’ve built a successful real estate business. When their eighteen-year-old daughter dies in a suspected car accident, the family is scrutinized and thrust into the public spotlight.

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Where to buy:Amazon | Indigo

The 2026 Giller prize will be announced on Nov. 16, 2026, in Toronto, ON on CBC TV, CBC Radio One, CBC Listen and CBC Gem.

Prizes include $100,000, a two-week residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and honours at the San Miguel Conference & Literary Festival.

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