It’s time to swing into full Shadow Giller mode!
Yes, the shortlist was announced earlier this week (while I was swanning around Spain on a business trip, hence the delay in posting this) and it looks quite an interesting mixed bag of novels from writers I’ve read before and some who are completely new to me.
The titles on the shortlist are:
- French Exit by Patrick deWitt
- Songs for the Cold of Heart by Eric Dupont, translated by Peter McCambridge
- Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
- Motherhood by Sheila Heti
- An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
Over the next six weeks or so, expect to see reviews of these novels popping up here and from my fellow Shadow Giller jury members — Marcia, Naomi and Alison — on KevinfromCanada’s blog.
Between the four of us, we hope to name a winner a couple of days in advance of the real winner, who will be announced on Monday 19 November.
Now, let the shortlist reading commence!
Reading Matters 
Looking forward to reading the Shadow Jury’s reviews, Kim. I don’t think I’ll be reading all the shortlist this year – at £18 (from Blackwell’s) the Dupont is a bit pricey for a paperback, and I just don’t fancy ‘Motherhood’. I’ve got a copy of ‘French Exit’ so I’ll read that, and I’ve read ‘Washington Black’ which I liked well enough but am baffled by its inclusion now on three shortlists. Of the three big Canadian prizes the Rogers Writers Trust shortlist appeals to me the most this year – I’m in the middle of Craig Davidson’s ‘The Saturday Night Ghost Club’ and am enjoying it every bit as much as I did ‘Cataract City’ a few years ago.
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The Dupont is hugely pricey…Amazon were quoting £29 for the paperback (think it was being imported from Canada) so the Blackwell’s price sounds like a bargain. LOL. (I ordered a copy from Book Depository for £19.) I’m coming to the end of Washington Black, which I bought on the strength of the Man Booker listing… hugely enjoyed it to begin with but now thinking it’s dragging on a bit… am looking forward to the others. I’m keen to read them all this year — usually there’s at least one I’m really reluctant to pick up. *cough* Rachel Cusk *cough*
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I look forward to hearing your pick!
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Thanks, Cathy.
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Ha, I don’t envy you the Cusk. I brought one of hers home from the library and didn’t get much beyond ten pages of it. There’s also one of them that’s 600 pages?
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Oh, there’s no Cusk this year *phew* but there is a 600 pager that costs an arm and leg to purchase (see my comment to David above).
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Hmm, that makes it difficult.
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I really thought Cusk’s third volume, Kudos, would appear. Guess you’re relieved that I was wrong! 🙂 It’s interesting to read about which titles are more/less interesting to readers from other places and which are more/less available/costly.
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Not sure how I missed your comment… so apologies for delay in replying. And yes, I’m super relieved Cusk’s third volume isn’t on here even though I have a review copy I picked up at a Faber showcase earlier in the year (I was pre-empting my belief that it would make the Giller shortlist and was trying to save myself from actually having to pay good money to buy it!). Getting hold of Canadian titles can be tricky. Ditto for Australian ones. It’s all due to which rights have been sold… if a publisher buys world rights they have to pay the author more money so I think they only do that if they know they are on to a sure fire winner.
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