Vinh Nguyen, katherena vermette, and Lorna Goodison emerge as contenders in the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Awards. Administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, these awards cover seven English-language categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, young people’s literature — text, young people’s literature — illustration, drama, and French-to-English translation. The total prize money across all categories amounts to $450,000 per year, with winners receiving $25,000 each and finalists receiving $1,000.
A peer assessment committee for each category selects the finalists and winners. The announcement of the winners is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2025. Nguyen’s nonfiction nomination is for his memoir, “The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse,” which delves into his family’s journey from post-war Vietnam to Canada, intertwining historical moments with contemporary diaspora experiences. The memoir blends real-life events, thorough research, and a touch of creativity to explore themes of family, immigration, and identity.
Vermette is in the running for the fiction category with her novel “real ones,” previously longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize. As a Michif writer and editor from Winnipeg, her literary repertoire includes novels like “The Break,” “The Strangers,” and “The Circle,” along with poetry collections such as “North End Love Songs” and “river woman.” Goodison, on the other hand, is a poetry category nominee for her unique translation of Dante’s Inferno, set in Jamaica and infused with local expressions.
The prize administrator, the Canada Council for the Arts, is affiliated with the CBC Literary Prizes, with several nominees having prior connections with these prestigious awards. The 2025 CBC Short Story Prize is currently open for submissions until Nov. 1, 2025, with Maria Reva, a nominee in the fiction category for “Endling,” serving on the jury.
The finalists in all seven English-language categories can be found below, while the French-language categories are accessible on the Canada Council for the Arts website. The finalists are selected by peer assessment committees for each category, ensuring a fair and rigorous evaluation process.
In the fiction category, finalists include “Endling” by Maria Reva, “Small Ceremonies” by Kyle Edwards, “real ones” by katherena vermette, “Hi, It’s Me” by Fawn Parker, and “Juiceboxers” by Benjamin Hertwig, assessed by the committee comprising Carol Bruneau, Bridget Canning, and Conor Kerr. The 2024 fiction winner was “Empty Spaces” by Jordan Abel.
Moving on to the nonfiction category, finalists include “What to Feel, How to Feel” by Shane Neilson, “All Our Ordinary Stories” by Teresa Wong, “Searching for Serafim” by Ruby Smith Díaz, “How to Survive a Bear Attack” by Claire Cameron, and Vinh Nguyen’s “The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse,” evaluated by the peer assessment committee consisting of Kevin Chong, Norma Dunning, and Adrienne Gruber. The 2024 nonfiction winner was “Wînipêk” by Niigaan Sinclair.
In the poetry category, finalists feature works like “Island” by Douglas Walbourne-Gough, “Shadow Price” by Farah Ghafoor, “Dante’s Inferno: A new translation” by Lorna Goodison, “Wellwater” by Karen Solie, and “10:10” by Michael Trussler, reviewed by the peer assessment committee comprising Tammy Armstrong, Katia Grubisic, and Kevin Irie. The 2024 poetry winner was “Scientific Marvel” by Chimwemwe Undi.
The drama category showcases finalists such as “Rise, Red River” by Tara Beagan, “The Ministry of Grace” by Tara Beagan, “Little Pretty and The Exceptional” by Anusree Roy, “Downed Hearts” by Catherine Banks, and “Fall on Your Knees” by Alisa Palmer and Hannah Moscovitch, assessed by Kanika Ambrose, Sharon King-Campbell, and Bruce McKay. The 2024 drama winner was “There Is Violence and There Is Righteous Violence and There Is Death, or the Born-Again Crow” by Caleigh Crow.
For the young people’s literature categories, finalists in the text section include “Tig” by Heather Smith, “Beast” by Richard Van Camp, “Best of All Worlds” by Kenneth Oppel, “The Outsmarters” by Deborah Ellis, and “A Drop in the Ocean” by Léa Taranto, reviewed by Wayne Arthurson, Susin Nielsen, and Karen Rivers. The 2024 winner was “Crash Landing” by Li Charmaine Anne.
In the illustrated books section,