Vinh Nguyen, Caterena Vermette and Lorna Goodison are among the finalists for the 2025 Governor General's Literary Award.
Prizes administered Canada Council for the Artsare awarded in seven English-language categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, young adult literature (text), young adult literature (illustration), drama and French-English translation. Seven French-language awards are presented in the same categories.
A total of $450,000 is awarded annually across all prizes.
The winner in each category will receive US$25,000. The remaining finalists will each receive $1,000.
Finalists and winners are selected by a peer review committee in each category.
Winners will be announced on November 6, 2025.
Nguyen is nominated in the nonfiction category for his memoir. The rain of migrants comes in reversein which he traces his family's journey from post-war Vietnam to Canada—and how this moment in history resonates with the experience of the modern diaspora.
Including real life experience, careful research and a little imagination. The rain of migrants comes in reverse explores the nature of family, immigration and identity.
Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor, and educator whose work has appeared in Brick, Literary Hub, and The Malahat Review.
Vermette is nominated in the fiction category for her novel. realwhich was also longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize.
Vermette is a Michif (Red River Métis) writer and editor from Winnipeg. Her books include novels Break, Strangers And Circle, And collections of poems procession, Love Songs of the North End And river woman.
Love Songs of the North End received the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. Break was a finalist for the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction. He was defended by Candy Palmater on Canada reads 2017. Strangers won 2021 Atwood Gibson Prize for Fiction and was Longlisted for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
Goodison is nominated in the Poetry category for her translation of Dante. Inferno, called Inferno. Her version is set in Jamaica and includes Jamaican expressions and sayings.
Goodison is the author of 15 collections of poetry, including Collection of poems And Mother Musewhich was a finalist for the Derek Walcott Poetry Prize. She won the 2019 Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry for her work. and was Poet Laureate of Jamaica from 2017–2020. She lives in Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia.
Award administrator Canada Council for the Arts is also a partner CBC Literary Awards. Three nominees are related to the award. Benjamin Hertwig nominated for his novel Juicers, entered the long list Short Story Award in 2016 and 2018. Farah Ghafoor has been shortlisted for her poetry collection. Shadow priceentered the long list Poetry Prize in 2022. Jessica Moore was shortlisted for her translation of Josephine Bacon's work. Uyesh / Somewhere, entered the long list Short Story Award in 2016.
The 2025 CBC Short Story Awards are currently open for submissions. until November 1, 2025 Maria Reva, nominated in the Fiction category for Endlingis on jury.
Below you can see the finalists in all seven English-language categories. Categories in French are available on the website Canada Council for the Arts website.
Fiction
The fiction finalists were:
- Endling from Maria Reva
- Small ceremonies Kyle Edwards
- real by Katerena Vermette
- Hello, it's me by Fawn Parker
- Juiceboxers Benjamin Hertwig
Peer Review Committee Carol Bruneau, Bridget Canning and Conor Kerr.
The 2024 Fiction Winner is Empty places Jordan Abel.
Fiction
The nonfiction finalists were:
- What to feel, how to feel by Shane Neilson
- All our usual stories Teresa Wong
- In search of Seraphim Ruby Smith Diaz
- How to survive a bear attack by Claire Cameron
- The rain of migrants comes in reverse author: Vinh Nguyen
Peer Review Committee Kevin Chong, Norma Dunning and Adrienne Gruber.
The 2024 Nonfiction Winner is Winnipeg Niigaan Sinclair.
Poetry
The poetry finalists were:
- Island Douglas Walbourne-Gough
- Shadow price by Farah Ghafoor
- Inferno Dante Alighieri, translated by Lorna Goodison
- Wellwater by Karen Solie
- 10:10 Michael Trussler
Peer Review Committee they are Tammy Armstrong, Katja Grubisic and Kevin Eary.
The 2024 winner was Scientific miracle Chimwemwe Undi.
Drama
The drama finalists were:
- Sunrise, Red River by Tara Began
- Grace Ministry by Tara Began
- Little beauty and exceptional this Anusree Roy
- Broken Hearts Catherine Banks
- Fall to your knees Alice Palmer and Hannah Moscovitch
Peer Review Committee they are Kanika Ambrose, Sharon King-Campbell and Bruce McKay.
The 2024 winner was There is violence, there is righteous violence and there is death., or The Raven Reborn Callie Crow.
Young People's Literature — text
The finals of youth literature-text included:
- Tig by Heather Smith
- Beast Richard Van Camp
- The best of all worlds Kenneth Oppel
- Outsmarters Deborah Ellis
- Drop in the ocean Lea Taranto
Mutual Evaluation Committee they are Wayne Arthurson, Susin Nielsen and Karen Rivers.
The 2024 winner was Emergency landing To Lee Charmaine Ann.
Young People's Literature — illustrated books
The finals of youth literature – illustrated books included:
- This land is a lullaby Tonya Simpson, illustrations by Delre Dumont
- Worth repeating Tanya Tagak, illustrations by Si Pootoogook
- God Myrtle Sid Sharp
- Oasis from Guojing
- Stone and butterfly Katie Stinson, illustrations by Brooke Kerrigan
Mutual Evaluation Committee they are Don Baker, Matthew Forsyth and Bridget George.
The 2024 winner was Ice skating in the inland sea by Jean E. Pendzivol, illustrated by Todd Stewart.
Translation
The translation finalists were:
- Baldwin, Styron and me To Melika Abdelmoumen, translation by Ekaterina Hordok
- Uyesh / Somewhere Josephine Bacon, translated by Jessica Moore
- Muybridge by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Dascher and Rob Aspinall
- Farida by Monia Mazig, translated by Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott
- May our joy last Kevin Lambert, translated by Donald Winkler
Peer Review Committee these are Bilal Hashmi and Dmitry Nasrallah.
The 2024 winner was The nights are too short to dance Marie-Claire Blais, translation by Katja Grubisic.
