The winners of the 1997 Governor General's Literary Awards were announced on November 18 by Donna Scott, Chairman of the Canada Council for the Arts. Each winner received a cheque for $10,000.Robert Reid, "Jane Urquhart wins Governor General's Award for fiction". Waterloo Region Record, November 19, 1997.
English CategoryWinnerNominated Fiction Jane Urquhart, The UnderpainterSandra Birdsell, The Two-Headed Calf Matt Cohen, Last Seen Elizabeth Hay, Small Change Eric McCormack, First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women Non-fiction Rachel Manley, Drumblair – Memories of a Jamaican ChildhoodWade Davis, One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest Catherine Dunphy, Morgentaler: A Difficult Hero Terry Glavin, This Ragged Place – Travels Across the Landscape Blair Stonechild and Bill Waiser, Loyal till Death – Indians and the North-West Rebellion Poetry Dionne Brand, Land to Light OnMarilyn Bowering, Autobiography Patrick Friesen, A Broken Bowl Carole Glasser Langille, In Cannon Cave Don McKay, Apparatus Drama Ian Ross, FareWelMaureen Hunter, Atlantis Lee MacDougall, High Life Jason Sherman, Reading Hebron Judith Thompson, Sled Children's literature Kit Pearson, Awake and DreamingCheryl Foggo, One Thing That's True James Heneghan, Wish Me Luck Teddy Jam, The Fishing Summer Barbara Nichol, Dippers Children's illustration Barbara Reid, The PartyBlair Drawson, Flying Dimitri Marie-Louise Gay, Rumpelstiltskin Robin Muller, The Angel Tree Ludmila Zeman, The First Red Maple Leaf French to English translation Howard Scott, The EuguelionJane Brierley, Canadians of Old Patricia Claxton, Baroque at Dawn David Homel, A Drifting Year Nancy Huston, The Goldberg Variations
French CategoryWinnerNominated Fiction Aude, Cet imperceptible mouvementBernard Assiniwi, La Saga des Béothuks Lise Bissonnette, Quittes et Doubles – Scènes de réciprocité Pierre Morency, La Vie entière – Histoires naturelles du Nouveau Monde Pierre Ouellet, Légende dorée Non-fiction Roland Viau, Enfants du néant et mangeurs d'âmes – Guerre, culture et société en Iroquoisie ancienneFernand Dumont, Une foi partagée Yolande Geadah, Femmes voilées, intégrismes démasqués Alain Bernard Marchand, Tintin au pays de la ferveur François Ricard, Gabrielle Roy – Une vie Poetry Pierre Nepveu, Romans-fleuvesNicole Brossard, Vertige de l'avant-scène Serge Legagneur, Poèmes choisis, 1961–1997 Paul Chanel Malenfant, Fleuves Hélène Monette, Plaisirs et Paysages kitsch Drama Yvan Bienvenue, Dits et InéditsJasmine Dubé, La Bonne Femme Marie-Line Laplante, Une tache sur la lune Robert Marinier, L'Insomnie Larry Tremblay, Ogre – Cornemuse Children's literature Michel Noël, PienDominique Demers, Maïna, tomes 1 et 2 Agathe Génois, Sarah, je suis là! Jacques Godbout, Une leçon de chasse Maryse Pelletier, Une vie en éclats Children's illustration Stéphane Poulin, Poil de serpent, dent d'araignéeLeanne Franson, L'Ourson qui voulait une Juliette Stéphane Jorisch, Casse-Noisette Gilles Tibo, Simon et le petit cirque English to French translation Marie José Thériault, Arracher les montagnesFrançois Barcelo, La Face cachée des pierres Nicole Côté, Verre de tempête Pierrot Lambert, L'Insight: Étude de la compréhension humaine
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