The Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the City of Toronto government to the author of the year's best fiction or non-fiction book or books "that are evocative of Toronto".[1] The award is presented in the fall of each year, with its advance promotional efforts including a series of readings by the nominated authors at each year's The Word on the Street festival.
Each author shortlisted for the award receives $1,000, and the winner or winners receive the balance of $15,000.
The award has frequently gone to multiple winners. 1987 was the first time in the history of the award that only a single winner was named.
Winners and nominees
1970s
1980s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 1980-1989
| Year
|
Author
|
Title
|
Result
|
Ref.
|
| 1980
|
Raymond Souster
|
Hanging In
|
Winner
|
[11]
|
| Stephen A. Speisman
|
The Jews of Toronto: A History to 1937
|
Winner
|
| Eric Arthur
|
From Front Street to Queen's Park: The Story of Ontario's Parliament Buildings
|
Finalist
|
[12]
|
| Margaret Atwood
|
Life Before Man
|
Finalist
|
| Shirley Faessler
|
Everything in the Window
|
Finalist
|
| Hugh Hood
|
Reservoir Ravine
|
Finalist
|
| Richard B. Howard
|
Upper Canada College 1928-1979: Colbourne's Legacy
|
Finalist
|
| Blair G. Laing
|
Memoirs of an Art Dealer
|
Finalist
|
| 1981
|
Timothy Colton
|
Big Daddy: Frederick G. Gardiner and the Building of Metropolitan Toronto
|
Winner
|
[13]
|
| Mary Larratt Smith
|
Young Mr. Smith in Upper Canada
|
Winner
|
| Helen Weinzweig
|
Basic Black with Pearls
|
Winner
|
| Gregory S. Kealey
|
Toronto Workers Respond to Industrial Capitalism, 1867-1892
|
Finalist
|
[13]
|
| John Lownsbrough
|
The Privileged Few: The Grange & Its People in Nineteenth Century Toronto
|
Finalist
|
| Austin Seton Thompson
|
Jarvis Street: A Story of Triumph and Tragedy
|
Finalist
|
| Richard B. Wright
|
Final Things
|
Finalist
|
| 1982
|
Claude Bissell
|
The Young Vincent Massey
|
Winner
|
[14]
|
| Marian Engel
|
Lunatic Villas
|
Winner
|
| Robertson Davies
|
The Rebel Angels
|
Finalist
|
[14]
|
| Michael Filey
|
I Remember Sunnyside
|
Finalist
|
| Bernice Thurman Hunter
|
That Scatterbrain Booky
|
Finalist
|
| Charles Sauriol
|
Remembering the Don
|
Finalist
|
| Conn Smythe with Scott Young
|
If You Can't Beat 'Em in the Alley
|
Finalist
|
| 1983
|
Michael Bliss
|
The Discovery of Insulin
|
Winner
|
[15]
|
| Lucy Booth Martyn
|
The Face of Early Toronto: An Archival Record 1803-1936
|
Winner
|
| Larry Partridge
|
The Witts
|
Finalist
|
[15]
|
| Clara Thomas and John Lennox
|
William Arthur Deacon: A Canadian Literary Life
|
Finalist
|
| Tim Wynne-Jones
|
The Knot
|
Finalist
|
| 1984
|
Edith G. Firth
|
Toronto in Art
|
Winner
|
|
| Gerald Killan
|
David Boyle: From Artisan to Archaeologist
|
Winner
|
| Eric Wright
|
The Night the Gods Smiled
|
Winner
|
| Bill Ivy
|
A Little Wilderness: The Natural History of Toronto
|
Finalist
|
|
| Rod McQueen
|
The Money-Spinners
|
Finalist
|
| Marion Royce
|
Eunice Dyke: Health Care Pioneer
|
Finalist
|
| 1985
|
Warabe Aska
|
Who Goes to the Park
|
Winner
|
[17]
|
| J.M.S. Careless
|
Toronto to 1918
|
Winner
|
| Josef Skvorecky
|
The Engineer of Human Souls
|
Winner
|
| Patrick Brode
|
Sir John Beverley Robinson
|
Finalist
|
[18]
|
| Margaret McKelvey and Merlyn McKelvey
|
Toronto: Carved in Stone
|
Finalist
|
| David G. Pitt
|
E.J. Pratt: The Truant Years 1882-1927
|
Finalist
|
| Victor L. Russell
|
Forging a Consensus
|
Finalist
|
| 1986
|
Morley Callaghan
|
Our Lady of the Snows
|
Winner
|
[19]
|
| Robertson Davies
|
What's Bred in the Bone
|
Winner
|
| Neil Bissoondath
|
Digging Up the Mountains
|
Finalist
|
[20]
|
| Rosemary Donegan
|
Spadina Avenue
|
Finalist
|
| James Lemon
|
Toronto Since 1918: An Illustrated History
|
Finalist
|
| Patricia McHugh
|
Toronto Architecture: A City Guide
|
Finalist
|
| 1987
|
William Dendy and William Kilbourn
|
Toronto Observed: Its Architecture, Patrons and History
|
Winner
|
[21]
|
| John Coldwell Adams
|
Sir Charles God Damn: The Life of Sir Charles G.D. Roberts
|
Finalist
|
[21]
|
| June Callwood
|
Twelve Weeks in Spring
|
Finalist
|
| Lovat Dickson
|
The Museum Makers: The Story of the Royal Ontario Museum
|
Finalist
|
| Michael Filey
|
Not a One-Horse Town: 125 Years of Toronto and Its Streetcars
|
Finalist
|
| Martin O'Malley
|
Hospital: Life and Death in a Major Medical Centre
|
Finalist
|
| 1988
|
Michael Ondaatje
|
In the Skin of a Lion
|
Winner
|
[22]
|
| Joan Hollobon
|
The Lion's Tale: A History of the Wellesley Hospital, 1912-1978
|
Finalist
|
[23]
|
| Cyril H. Levitt and William Shaffir
|
The Riot at Christie Pits
|
Finalist
|
| Tom MacDonnell
|
Never Let Go: The Tragedy of Kristy McFarlane
|
Finalist
|
| Anna Porter
|
Mortal Sins
|
Finalist
|
| 1989
|
Margaret Atwood
|
Cat's Eye
|
Winner
|
[24]
|
| Shirley Faessler
|
A Basket of Apples
|
Finalist
|
[25]
|
| Robert Fulford
|
Best Seat in the House
|
Finalist
|
| Alison Gordon
|
The Dead Pull Hitter
|
Finalist
|
| Michael Kluckner
|
Toronto The Way It Was
|
Finalist
|
| Rick Salutin
|
A Man of Little Faith
|
Finalist
|
| Paul Stuewe
|
The Storm Below: The Turbulent Life and Times of Hugh Garner
|
Finalist
|
1990s
2000s
2010s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 2000-2009
| Year
|
Author
|
Title
|
Result
|
Ref.
|
| 2010
|
Mark Sinnett
|
The Carnivore
|
Winner
|
[61]
|
| Seán Cullen
|
The Prince of Neither Here Nor There
|
Finalist
|
[62]
|
| Cary Fagan
|
Valentine's Fall
|
Finalist
|
| Lauren Kirshner
|
Where We Have to Go
|
Finalist
|
| Dragan Todorović
|
Diary of Interrupted Days
|
Finalist
|
| 2011
|
Rabindranath Maharaj
|
The Amazing Absorbing Boy
|
Winner
|
[63]
|
| James FitzGerald
|
What Disturbs Our Blood
|
Finalist
|
[64]
|
| James King
|
Étienne's Alphabet
|
Finalist
|
| Nicholas Ruddock
|
The Parabolist
|
Finalist
|
| Alissa York
|
Fauna
|
Finalist
|
| 2012
|
Andrew J. Borkowski
|
Copernicus Avenue
|
Winner
|
[65]
|
| Dave Bidini
|
Writing Gordon Lightfoot: The Man, the Music, and the World in 1972
|
Finalist
|
[66]
|
| Farzana Doctor
|
Six Metres of Pavement
|
Finalist
|
| Michele Landsberg
|
Writing the Revolution
|
Finalist
|
| Suzanne Robertson
|
Paramita, Little Black
|
Finalist
|
| 2013
|
Kamal Al-Solaylee
|
Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes
|
Winner
|
[67]
|
| Patrick Cummins and Shawn Micallef
|
Full Frontal T.O.
|
Finalist
|
[68]
|
| Kevin Irie
|
Viewing Tom Thomson, A Minority Report
|
Finalist
|
| Aga Maksimowska
|
Giant
|
Finalist
|
| Katrina Onstad
|
Everybody Has Everything
|
Finalist
|
| 2014
|
Charlotte Gray
|
The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master and the Trial that Shocked a Country
|
Winner
|
[69]
|
| Anthony De Sa
|
Kicking the Sky
|
Finalist
|
[68]
|
| Carrianne Leung
|
The Wondrous Woo
|
Finalist
|
| Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis
|
The Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement
|
Finalist
|
| Shyam Selvadurai
|
The Hungry Ghosts
|
Finalist
|
| 2015
|
Emily St. John Mandel
|
Station Eleven
|
Winner
|
[70]
|
| André Alexis
|
Fifteen Dogs
|
Finalist
|
[70]
|
| Margaret Atwood
|
Stone Mattress
|
Finalist
|
| Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer
|
All the Broken Things
|
Finalist
|
| Bruce McDougall
|
The Last Hockey Game
|
Finalist
|
| 2016
|
Cordelia Strube
|
On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light
|
Winner
|
[71]
|
| Howard Akler
|
Men of Action
|
Finalist
|
[71]
|
| Ann Y. K. Choi
|
Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety
|
Finalist
|
| John Lorinc, Michael McClelland, Ellen Scheinberg, and Tatum Taylor
|
The Ward: The Life and Loss of Toronto’s First Immigrant Neighbourhood
|
Finalist
|
| Marnie Woodrow
|
Heyday
|
Finalist
|
| 2017
|
B. Denham Jolly
|
In the Black: My Life
|
Winner
|
[72]
|
| Jen Agg
|
I Hear She's a Real Bitch
|
Finalist
|
[73]
|
| Catherine Hernandez
|
Scarborough
|
Finalist
|
| John Lorinc, Jane Farrow, Stephanie Chambers, Maureen FitzGerald, Tim McCaskell, Rebecka Sheffield, Tatum Taylor, Rahim Thawer, and Ed Jackson
|
Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer
|
Finalist
|
| James Maskalyk
|
Life on the Ground Floor: Letters from the Edge of Emergency Medicine
|
Finalist
|
| 2018
|
David Chariandy
|
Brother
|
Winner
|
[74]
|
| Dionne Brand
|
The Unpublished City
|
Finalist
|
[75]
|
| Carrianne Leung
|
That Time I Loved You
|
Finalist
|
| Lee Maracle
|
My Conversations with Canadians
|
Finalist
|
| Kerri Sakamoto
|
Floating City
|
Finalist
|
| 2019
|
Dionne Brand
|
Theory
|
Winner
|
[76]
|
| Mike Barnes
|
Be With: Letters to a Caregiver
|
Finalist
|
[76]
|
| Cary Fagan
|
The Student
|
Finalist
|
| Didier Leclair
|
This Country of Mine
|
Finalist
|
| Ian Williams
|
Reproduction
|
Finalist
|
2020s
References
- ^ "About the Toronto Book Awards". City of Toronto, official Web site. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ^ William French, "City politics to city prose". The Globe and Mail, April 18, 1974.
- ^ William French, "CanLit rising". The Globe and Mail, April 9, 1974.
- ^ Roy MacSkimming, "Margaret Laurence to receive country's top literary prize". Toronto Star, April 29, 1975.
- ^ Roy MacSkimming, "Author's guerrilla satire a dismal flop". Toronto Star, April 3, 1975.
- ^ Margaret Worthington, "Smelly classroom tale has a happy ending". Toronto Star, May 10, 1976.
- ^ a b Ken Adachi, "Literary mistress-of-all-trades Atwood shares $3,000 book prize". Toronto Star, February 18, 1977.
- ^ Zena Cherry, "Toronto gives merit awards". The Globe and Mail, March 6, 1978.
- ^ Ken Adachi, "City's $3,000 competition drew 38 titles". Toronto Star, February 17, 1978.
- ^ a b Ken Adachi, "3 authors share $5,000 prize from the city". Toronto Star, February 20, 1979.
- ^ Ken Adachi, "Souster's prize well-deserved". Toronto Star, March 9, 1980.
- ^ William French, "Balls! review sparks libel action". The Globe and Mail, February 12, 1980.
- ^ a b "Three books tie for Toronto prize". The Globe and Mail, March 5, 1981.
- ^ a b "Engel, Bissell share $5,000". The Globe and Mail, February 25, 1982.
- ^ a b "Story of insulin wins Toronto book award". Toronto Star, February 25, 1983.
- ^ "Three authors share city award". Toronto Star, March 1, 1985.
- ^ William French, "Awards plagued by controversy". The Globe and Mail, February 12, 1985.
- ^ "Davies, Callaghan share prize". Toronto Star, February 28, 1986.
- ^ "Finalists announced for book awards". Toronto Star, January 22, 1986.
- ^ a b "Architectural book takes civic award". The Globe and Mail, May 1, 1987.
- ^ Ken Adachi, "Michael Ondaatje's novel wins city prize". Toronto Star, April 22, 1988.
- ^ H.J. Kirchhoff, "Finalists named for book awards". The Globe and Mail, February 25, 1988.
- ^ "Atwood takes Toronto book prize". The Globe and Mail, April 27, 1989.
- ^ "Three double nominees for major book awards". Toronto Star, February 28, 1989.
- ^ "Novelist, historian take book prizes". The Globe and Mail, April 26, 1990.
- ^ "Contest finalists announced". Toronto Star, February 28, 1990.
- ^ Philip Marchand, "Short stories collection wins Toronto book prize". Toronto Star, May 23, 1991.
- ^ "Toronto Book Awards finalists named". Toronto Star, April 3, 1991.
- ^ a b "Govier wins Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, May 21, 1992.
- ^ Michael Smith, "Word on the Street festival celebrates 4th successful year". Toronto Star, September 27, 1993.
- ^ "T.O.'s Best Books". Toronto Star, September 21, 1993.
- ^ "Findley's Headhunter wins book award". The Globe and Mail, September 27, 1994.
- ^ "'94 book fair features words in the street". The Globe and Mail, September 17, 1994.
- ^ "Schabas wins Toronto book award". Montreal Gazette, September 27, 1995.
- ^ "Four book finalists named". Toronto Star, August 24, 1995.
- ^ "Biography wins Toronto Book award". The Globe and Mail, September 30, 1996.
- ^ "City of Toronto Book Award finalists announced". Vancouver Sun, August 24, 1996.
- ^ a b Elizabeth Renzetti, "Fugitive Pieces collects award: Anne Michaels wins $15,000 book prize". The Globe and Mail, September 29, 1997.
- ^ "Humphreys wins book award for her first novel". The Globe and Mail, September 28, 1998.
- ^ "Book prize finalists named". Ottawa Citizen, September 3, 1998.
- ^ "Poet wins Toronto Award at literary festival". The Globe and Mail, September 27, 1999.
- ^ Jennifer Prittie, "Toronto Book Award shortlist chosen from 76 entries". National Post, September 9, 1999.
- ^ "First time novelist wins Toronto literary festival book prize". Prince Rupert Daily News, September 25, 2000.
- ^ Don Wanagas, "Toronto Book Awards finalists announced: Five works on short list: $15,000 in prize money to be awarded". National Post, September 7, 2000.
- ^ "Historian wins $10,000 book award". Moose Jaw Times-Herald, October 1, 2001.
- ^ "Five finalists on the list for $15,000 in prizes in the 2001 Toronto Book Awards". National Post, September 6, 2001.
- ^ a b James Adams, "'Bittersweet' win for author". The Globe and Mail, September 30, 2002.
- ^ "Toronto book award goes to Joe Fiorito". Brantford Expositor, September 20, 2003.
- ^ "Fiorito, four others bid for Toronto book award". Toronto Star, June 18, 2003.
- ^ "Bazzana, Taylor win 2004 Toronto Book Awards". Nelson Daily News, September 10, 2004.
- ^ Rob Shaw, "Authors share book prize". The Globe and Mail, September 10, 2004.
- ^ a b Guy Dixon, "Bezmozgis wins 2005 Toronto Book Award". The Globe and Mail, September 9, 2005.
- ^ "Brand wins book award". Prince George Citizen, September 8, 2006.
- ^ "Dionne Brand, M.G. Vassanji on shortlist for Toronto Book Awards". Canadian Press, June 5, 2006.
- ^ James Adams, "Consolation wins Toronto Book Awards". The Globe and Mail, September 6, 2007.
- ^ "Toronto Book Award nominees announced". The Globe and Mail, June 21, 2007.
- ^ a b Vit Wagner, "Downie wins Toronto Book Award; Loyalty Management takes $15,000 prize". Toronto Star, October 18, 2008.
- ^ Adam McDowell, "Austin Clarke wins Toronto Book Award". National Post, October 16, 2009.
- ^ "2009 finalists named for Toronto Book Awards". The Globe and Mail, September 16, 2009.
- ^ "Mark Sinnett wins Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, October 15, 2010.
- ^ Mark Medley, "Sean Cullen, Mark Sinnett among 2010 Toronto Book Award Nominees". National Post, September 17, 2010.
- ^ Andrew Gorham, "Rabindranath Maharaj wins Toronto Book Award". The Globe and Mail, October 13, 2011.
- ^ "Toronto Book Awards finalists named". Toronto Star, September 7, 2011.
- ^ "Borkowski wins Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, October 12, 2012.
- ^ "Bidini vies for Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, August 28, 2012.
- ^ "Kamal Al-Solaylee wins Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star. October 9, 2012.
- ^ a b Deborah Dundas, "Six finalists vying for 2014 Toronto Book Awards: Winner will be announced at celebration in October". Toronto Star, August 23, 2014.
- ^ Deborah Dundas, "Charlotte Gray's crime book wins Toronto Book Award: True story of 1915 murder captures $10,000 prize". Toronto Star, October 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Dundas, Deborah (October 15, 2015). "Emily St. John Mandel wins 2015 Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star.
- ^ a b Debra Yeo, "Cordelia Strube wins 2016 Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, October 11, 2016.
- ^ Patrick, Ryan B. (October 13, 2017). "B. Denham Jolly's memoir about growing up Black in Toronto wins Toronto Book Award". CBC News.
- ^ van Koeverden, Jane (August 24, 2017). "Jen Agg, Catherine Hernandez nominated for Toronto Book Awards". CBC News.
- ^ Dundas, Deborah (October 10, 2018). "David Chariandy's novel Brother wins $10,000 Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star.
- ^ van Koeverden, Jane (August 9, 2018). "Dionne Brand, David Chariandy, Lee Maracle shortlisted for $10K Toronto Book Award". CBC News.
- ^ a b Dundas, Deborah (October 2, 2019). "Dionne Brand named winner of 2019 Toronto Book Awards". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ Porter, Ryan (December 2, 2020). "Desmond Cole will donate half his Toronto Book Award prize winnings as he calls for TPL, city of Toronto "to do better"". Quill and Quire.
- ^ Porter, Ryan (November 2, 2020). "Shortlist announced for $10,000 Toronto Book Awards". Quill and Quire.
- ^ Drudi, Cassandra (October 5, 2021). "Kim Echlin wins $10,000 Toronto Book Award". Quill & Quire.
- ^ Qiao, Vicky (11 August 2021). "Missing From the Village by Justin Ling among six books shortlisted for $10K Toronto Book Awards". CBC News.
- ^ a b "Sarah Polley wins $10K Toronto Book Award for 'brave, intelligent' memoir Run Towards Danger". CBC Books. November 23, 2022.
- ^ Cassandra Drudi, "Wanda Nanibush and Georgiana Uhlyarik win 2023 Toronto Book Award". Quill & Quire, October 11, 2023.
- ^ "Shortlist announced for 2023 Toronto Book Awards". Quill & Quire, September 5, 2023.
- ^ "Maurice Vellekoop wins 2024 Toronto Book Awards". Toronto Today, November 8, 2024.
- ^ Cassandra Drudi, "Five books shortlisted for 2024 Toronto Book Awards". Quill & Quire, September 12, 2024.
External links