Toronto-based novelist wins Giller literary prize amongst protests

A Toronto-based writer has won the Canadian Giller literary prize for her generational war novel Held, which was held amongst protests outside the presentation ceremony.

Poet and novelist Anne Michaels’ book is about war and trauma and their impacts on a family won the $100,000 award.

Published by McClelland & Stewart Held moves back and forth through time as it follows a photographer-turned-World War I solider and his descendants.

In accepting the prize Monday night in Toronto, Michaels appealed for unity in the country’s arts community.

Anti Israel-Hamas war protesters outside the event at the Park Hyatt Hotel were demanding the Giller Foundation cut ties with several corporate sponsors — including Scotiabank — over some of their ties to the Israeli military.

A few well-known Canadian authors boycotted this year’s Giller Prize.

Last year, Palestinian supporters protested outside of the gala.

The Giller jury said Held was an impactful exploration of mortality and resilience.

The prize was created in 1994 by the now-deceased businessman Jack Rabinovitch in memory of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.

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