I sat as a juror for the Writers’ Trust of Canada Fiction Prize this year, reading 127 books from 52 publishers over about 8 months. It wasn’t easy, but it was fascinating. The shortlist is here and copied below. I really wish there could have been a longlist, because there are easily three or four more books that could have made this list. But you can’t choose them all. My fellow jurors, Neil Bissoondath and Helen Humphreys were absolutely brilliant readers and we were very much all on the “same page” throughout the process. Congratulations to the shortlisted writers. The winner will be announced November 4.
2014 Finalists

André Alexis (Toronto)
Pastoral
Published by Coach House Books

Steven Galloway (New Westminster, BC)
The Confabulist
Published by Knopf Canada

K.D. Miller (Toronto)
All Saints
Published by Biblioasis

Carrie Snyder (Waterloo, ON)
Girl Runner
Published by House of Anansi

Miriam Toews (Toronto)
All My Puny Sorrows
Published by Knopf Canada