We have a grand prize winner in our Readers' Choice contest!
Johanna Skibsrud mingles during the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize gala in Toronto. (Aaron Vincent Elkaim/Canadian Press)
Thanks to everyone who submitted a nomination to our Scotiabank Giller Prize Readers' Choice contest. During the month of August, we received thousands of nominations from across the country. The book that received the most nominations will be added to this year's longlist, and you'll find out what the Readers' Choice is when the official longlist is announced on Sept. 6.
In the meantime, we're very excited to reveal the winner of the spectacular grand prize of a trip for two to attend the Scotiabank Giller Awards gala on Nov. 8 in Toronto, including accommodations at the Four Seasons Hotel and meals at some of the city's hottest restaurants.
Congratulations to Helen McCaslin from Regina! Helen nominated the
book To the Edge of the Sea, by Anne McDonald, a writer and teacher,
also living in Regina. Anne and Helen are friends, which is another reason
why Helen sent us a thoughtful nomination for this imaginative novel,
which interweaves the history of Canadian Confederation and prominent real-life figures
like John A. Macdonald and Mercy Coles with stories about a
fictional pair of brothers caught up in this tumultuous period."I think this book will last," Helen told CBC Books in an interview. "I think people will come to this book maybe later, but it's something you can keep going back to and keep reading bits. You can actually find out about historical characters and learn more about them on the internet. It has a lot to it."
You can read Helen's nomination here.
Helen, who found out about the Readers' Choice contest after some mutual friends got the word out to support Anne, said she's excited to attend the "glitzy" Scotiabank Giller Prize gala, which she's watched on television many times. In fact, she's already Googled for photos of the event to figure out what she's going to wear.
"I'll have to go shopping! I know it's a black tie affair," she said with a laugh.
Although the Readers' Choice contest has wrapped up, we'll be launching another exciting Scotiabank Giller Prize contest next week to celebrate the longlist, with more fantastic prizes. So check back with us soon!
