BOOK PRIZE SEASON

 Caribbean Writers in the Running and the Road Is Talking

Ian Williams

April marks the beginning of Book Award season, and this week has seen significant prize announcements from 3 different Canadian awards, impacting Caribbean authors and poets.

The $130,000 Griffin Poetry Prize, announced yesterday morning in Toronto, unveiled its 2024 shortlist. This year, no Caribbean Canadian made the list, but Ishion Hutchinson from Port Antonio, Jamaica, is among the five poets vying for the prestigious June 5th poetry prize.

Ishion Hutchinson

The 40-year-old Jamaican poet is nominated for his book “School of Instructions,” which delves into the experiences of West Indian volunteer soldiers in British regiments during World War I. The poetry collection captures the psychological and physical challenges faced by these Black soldiers in the Middle East theatre of war, refracting their struggle against the colonial power they served. The narratives of the soldiers intertwine with the story of Godspeed, a young schoolboy living in rural Jamaica in the 1990s. The winner will be announced at the Griffin Poetry Prize Readings at Koerner Hall in Toronto on Wednesday, June 5.

The KOBO 2024 Emerging Writer Prize shortlist has just been announced! With the Emerging Writer Prize, Rakuten Kobo aims to elevate the profiles of debut authors by recognizing exceptional books by first-time Canadian authors in three categories: Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, and fiction (Mystery).

The shortlist comprises 17 authors, including one Caribbean contender for the $10,000 Emerging Author Award in fiction: Kai Thomas. His novel, "In the Upper Country," has already garnered several other literary accolades since its release a couple of years ago. The book follows the intertwined destinies of two unforgettable women—one embarking on a journey of self-discovery and reckoning, while the other fulfils her life's final vital act—at the terminus of the Underground Railroad.

Kai Thomas is a writer, carpenter, and land steward. He is Afro-Canadian, born and raised in Ottawa, with ancestry tracing back to Trinidad and the British Isles.

On June 18th, Rakuten Kobo will announce the winners of its tenth annual Emerging Writer Prize in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Mystery. Each category winner will take home $10,000.

Announcing the 2024 CBC Massey Lecturer: Giller Prize winner Ian Williams. The acclaimed Caribbean Canadian author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry has received recognition through awards such as the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Griffin Poetry Prize. Established in 1961, the Massey Lectures—originally created by CBC and now in partnership with House of Anansi and the University of Toronto's Massey College—have addressed pressing issues of our time. Previous notable speakers include Martin Luther King Jr., Ursula Franklin, Jane Jacobs, and Thomas King. Williams will deliver public lectures across five provinces, with his Massey Lecture broadcasted on the CBC. The cross-Canada tour is set to commence in August.

What will Williams be discussing? According to the CBC, his Massey Lecture will focus on the theme of communication. “Why can't we talk to each other? How can we talk to each other? And what do we need to talk about right now?” These are the questions that the award-winning writer and English professor Ian Williams will explore. Born in Trinidad 45 years ago, Williams is now a Canadian poet and fiction writer. His collection of short stories, "Not Anyone's Anything," won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, and his debut novel, "Reproduction," clinched the 2019 Giller Prize. His work has been shortlisted for various prestigious awards.