Finalists for 2026 Governor General’s Literary Awards Include B.C. Writers

In the English-language fiction category, B.C. writer Kim Fu is nominated for her novel *The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts* (HarperCollins Canada). Fu, who was born in Vancouver to parents from Hong Kong and studied creative writing at the University of British Columbia, currently resides in Seattle. She is competing against Sharon Bala’s *Good Guys* (McClelland & Stewart), Sara Peters’s *Mother of God* (McClelland & Stewart), Kaye Cayley’s *Property* (Coach House Books), and Nina Dunic’s *Suddenly Light* (Invisible Publishing).

Brandi Bird from Burnaby has received a nomination in the English-language poetry category for her collection, *Pitiful: Poems* (House of Anansi Press). This marks her second nomination following her 2024 recognition for *The All + Flesh*.

Also nominated is Vancouver artist Julie Morstad, who, along with Toronto author Kyo Maclear, is recognized in the Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books category for *A Door Is to Open* (Tundra Books).

The theatre community will recognize Jovanni Sy, previously the artistic director of Richmond’s Gateway Theatre from 2012 to 2019. During that tenure, he premiered *Nine Dragons* in 2018, which won a Jessie Richardson Theatre Award for Outstanding Original Script. Now based in Montreal, Sy co-wrote *Salesman in China* with his spouse Leanna Brodie, which is nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, competing against works by Jordan Tannahill, Susanna Fournier, and Hannah Moscovitch.

While the nonfiction category lacks B.C. nominees, there is a connection with Trina Moyles, a Whitehorse-based author who completed her MFA in Creative Writing at UBC in 2023. She is nominated for *Black Bear* (Knopf Canada).

The winners of the 14 categories will be announced on November 12. For a complete list of finalists, visit the Canada Council website.