Joseph Boyden and Rawi Hage are among five finalists announced Monday for the $50,000 Giller Prize for Canadian fiction.

Boyden, who splits his time between Northern Ontario and New Orleans, has been nominated for his latest novel, Through Black Spruce. Montrealer Hage, winner earlier this year of the IMPAC Dublin Award, was named for his sophomore novel, Cockroach.

The other finalists, announced in Toronto Tuesday morning, are:

• Toronto writer Anthony De Sa for his short story collection Barnacle Love.
• Edmonton-based writer Marina Endicott for the novel Good to a Fault.
• Guelph, Ont.'s Mary Swan for the novel The Boys in the Trees.

That this year's list includes several writers with just one or two books under their belt demonstrates the continuing strength of the Canadian literary scene, jury member Margaret Atwood said following the short-list announcement.

"This is what the Giller can do. This is what prizes, in general, can do. They can put people into the spotlight who might never have been there," she told reporters.

"It's astonishing how much talent there is out there," said the past Giller winner, who is serving her third stint as a juror.

"You open up a cultural space like that and I guess I've always said — and have been saying recently — Canada is full of creativity. You make a space for that, for that creativity to be and to flourish, and there it is."

Atwood and her fellow jurors, politician Bob Rae and author Colm Toibin, began reading an initial 95 contenders this spring and had to produce a long list of 15 selections by August and a short list just a few weeks later.

While each cull was difficult, trimming the list down to five was especially tough because "we were struck by quite a few," Atwood said.

"There's always a sixth that it could be. Or a seventh. Or an eighth. You're always dealing with about three possible [books] for that number five slot. So in a way you feel awful. It's a decision that makes you feel awful because you think 'Well, what about that one? We like that one too.'"

The trio now has a month to mull over their final decision, which will be made the day of the awards gala as usual, Atwood said, adding that this would be her last time as a Giller juror.

"Three is enough, for me. And you need a variety of tastes coming in always."

The 15th annual Scotiabank Giller Prize gala will pay tribute to all five finalists on Nov. 11 in Toronto. The author of the best English-language Canadian novel or short story collection will receive the $50,000 prize, while the four remaining finalists will receive $5,000 each.

Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch founded the Giller Prize in 1994 in memory of his wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.

With files from the Canadian Press