Sarah Bernstein wins $100K Scotiabank Giller Prize

Montreal-born, Scotland-based author Sarah Bernstein has won the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize for her second novel, Study for Obedience.

Known as the biggest night in Canadian literature, the announcement was interrupted when several anti-Israel protesters jumped onstage during the live telecast before being escorted out by police.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the $100,000 Giller award is presented annually to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English selected by a five-member jury panel. 

The four other finalists, listed below, will each receive $10,000. 

• Eleanor Catton for her novel Birnam Wood, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Kevin Chong for his novel The Double Life of Benson Yu, published by Simon & Schuster
• Dionne Irving for her short story collection The Islands: Stories, published by Catapult
• CS Richardson for his novel All The Colour in the World, published by Knopf Canada