Although most Canadian literary awards are open to Canadian citizens, regardless of residency, certain self-appointed gatekeepers seemed to believe that eligibility should not be a birthright, but somehow earned.Ī piece in the Toronto Star lamented the "tragic" event of Catton's win, citing her inability, as an outsider, to " us better understand ourselves as Canadians." Writing for The Walrus, Stephen Henighan framed the nominations as "the result of a culture where there are no longer clear boundaries," concluding that "open-minded people are afraid to make any distinctions at all for fear of appearing prejudiced. In 2015, when Rachel Cusk's 11th book, Outline, was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor-General's Literary Award, a few of this country's more territorial commentators were quick to sound the nationalist alarm bells.Įleanor Catton had been the target of similar gripes two years prior, when The Luminaries won the G-G both Cusk and Catton were born in Canada but relocated as children to the United States and New Zealand, respectively.
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