Giller Prize shortlist authors come to Halifax

If you follow Canadian fiction, the Giller Prize is the one to track. It is widely considered Canada's most prestigious literary award for fiction, and the 2026 shortlist is coming to Halifax for an evening. On Wednesday, November 4, the Halifax Central Library hosts 'An Evening with the Giller Prize Shortlist Authors' as part of its Between the Pages series, with the conversation running from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Paul O'Regan Hall.

The panel brings together the five authors shortlisted this year: Tara Gereaux, whose Wild People Quiet is published by Scribner Canada; Michelle Good, whose Eliza Sunshine comes from Random House Canada and was edited by Anne Collins; Nicholas Herring, whose Your Breath in Charcoal is with Goose Lane Editions; Nazanine Hozar, whose The Small Ones is published by Knopf Canada and edited by Lynn Henry; and Patmeena Sabit, whose Good People is with Crown and edited by Amy Einhorn. Moderating the discussion is Amy Smith, co-host of CBC Nova Scotia News.

A bit of background on the prize helps set the stakes. Jack Rabinovitch founded the Giller in 1994 in honour of his late wife, the literary journalist Doris Giller. It awards C$100,000 to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel, or collection of short stories published in English, with C$10,000 going to each finalist. Last year's prize went to Souvankham Thammavongsa for Pick a Colour.

Halifax is one of several stops on the shortlist tour; the finalists will also appear at live events in Calgary, Ottawa, and Toronto as part of the series. The 2026 Giller Prize ceremony itself takes place on Monday, November 16, in Toronto. From there, the winner will be presented at Book Bar on Tuesday, November 17, and interviewed at the Toronto Reference Library on Wednesday, November 18. The winning author also receives a two-week writing residency in the Leighton Artist Studios program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and will be honoured by the San Miguel Writers' Conference & Literary Festival in Mexico on February 14, 2027.

As for the venue, the Halifax Central Library sits at 5440 Spring Garden Road and has been part of the Halifax Public Libraries system since it opened in December 2014. Paul O'Regan Hall, the space where the evening is being held, has 242 permanent seats and a capacity of 300, which should give you a sense of the room's size if you are planning to attend. If you have any questions before you go, the library can be reached at 902-490-5700. It is a rare chance to hear five of the country's shortlisted writers in one room, and with the winner not announced until the Toronto ceremony on the 16th, everyone walking in is still on equal footing.