Toronto Book Awards

The Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the City of Toronto government to the author of the year's best fiction or non-fiction book or books "that are evocative of Toronto".[1] The award is presented in the fall of each year, with its advance promotional efforts including a series of readings by the nominated authors at each year's The Word on the Street festival.

Each author shortlisted for the award receives $1,000, and the winner or winners receive the balance of $15,000.

The award has frequently gone to multiple winners. 1987 was the first time in the history of the award that only a single winner was named.

Winners and nominees

1970s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 1974-1979
Year Author Title Result
1974 William Kurelek O Toronto Winner
Desmond Morton Mayor Howland Winner
Richard B. Wright In the Middle of a Life Winner
Sandra Budden and Joseph Ernst The Movable Airport Finalist
Austin Clarke Storm of Fortune Finalist
Michael Filey Richard Howard and Helmut Weyerstrahs, Passengers Must Not Ride on Fender Finalist
Hugh Hood The Governor's Bridge Is Closed Finalist
George Jonas Cities Finalist
1975 Claude Bissell Halfway up Parnassus Winner
The Labour History Collective Women at Work Winner
Loren Lind The Learning Machine Winner
Max Braithwaite Sick Kids Finalist
Juan Butler Canadian Healing Oil Finalist
Jon Caulfield The Tiny Perfect Mayor Finalist
Dennis Lee Alligator Pie - Nicholas Knock Finalist
Harold Town Albert Franck: His Life, Times and Work Finalist
1976 Robert F. Harney and Harold Troper Immigrants: A Portrait of the Urban Experience 1890-1930 Winner
Hugh Hood The Swing in the Garden Winner
Jack Batten The Leafs in Autumn Finalist
Morley Callaghan A Fine and Private Place Finalist
Austin Clarke The Bigger Light Finalist
Hans Jewinski Poet Cop Finalist
Harry Pollock Gabriel Finalist
Ian Wallace and Angela Wood The Sandwich Finalist
1977 Margaret Atwood Lady Oracle Winner
Margaret Gibson The Butterfly Ward Winner
Michael Filey Trillium and Toronto Island Finalist
William Kilbourn The Toronto Book Finalist
Raymond Massey When I Was Young Finalist
Stan Obodiac The Leafs: The First 50 Years Finalist
Miriam Waddington The Price of Gold Finalist
1978 Christopher Armstrong and H. V. Nelles The Revenge of the Methodist Bicycle Company Winner
Timothy Findley The Wars Winner
Harry Adaskin A Fiddler's World Finalist
Morley Callaghan Close to the Sun Again Finalist
George Jonas and Barbara Amiel By Persons Unknown Finalist
1979 Michael Bliss A Canadian Millionaire Winner
William Dendy Lost Toronto Winner
John Morgan Gray Fun Tomorrow Winner
Morley Callaghan No Man's Meat and The Enchanted Pimp Finalist
Paul Duval The Tangled Garden Finalist
Marian Engel The Glassy Sea Finalist
James Lorimer The Developers Finalist
Peter Mellen Landmarks of Canadian Art Finalist
David Lewis Stein City Boys Finalist

1980s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 1980-1989
Year Author Title Result Ref.
1980 Raymond Souster Hanging In Winner
Stephen A. Speisman The Jews of Toronto: A History to 1937 Winner
Eric Arthur From Front Street to Queen's Park: The Story of Ontario's Parliament Buildings Finalist
Margaret Atwood Life Before Man Finalist
Shirley Faessler Everything in the Window Finalist
Hugh Hood Reservoir Ravine Finalist
Richard B. Howard Upper Canada College 1928-1979: Colbourne's Legacy Finalist
Blair G. Laing Memoirs of an Art Dealer Finalist
1981 Timothy Colton Big Daddy: Frederick G. Gardiner and the Building of Metropolitan Toronto Winner
Mary Larratt Smith Young Mr. Smith in Upper Canada Winner
Helen Weinzweig Basic Black with Pearls Winner
Gregory S. Kealey Toronto Workers Respond to Industrial Capitalism, 1867-1892 Finalist
John Lownsbrough The Privileged Few: The Grange & Its People in Nineteenth Century Toronto Finalist
Austin Seton Thompson Jarvis Street: A Story of Triumph and Tragedy Finalist
Richard B. Wright Final Things Finalist
1982 Claude Bissell The Young Vincent Massey Winner
Marian Engel Lunatic Villas Winner
Robertson Davies The Rebel Angels Finalist
Michael Filey I Remember Sunnyside Finalist
Bernice Thurman Hunter That Scatterbrain Booky Finalist
Charles Sauriol Remembering the Don Finalist
Conn Smythe with Scott Young If You Can't Beat 'Em in the Alley Finalist
1983 Michael Bliss The Discovery of Insulin Winner
Lucy Booth Martyn The Face of Early Toronto: An Archival Record 1803-1936 Winner
Larry Partridge The Witts Finalist
Clara Thomas and John Lennox William Arthur Deacon: A Canadian Literary Life Finalist
Tim Wynne-Jones The Knot Finalist
1984 Edith G. Firth Toronto in Art Winner [2]
Gerald Killan David Boyle: From Artisan to Archaeologist Winner [2]
Eric Wright The Night the Gods Smiled Winner [2]
Bill Ivy A Little Wilderness: The Natural History of Toronto Finalist
Rod McQueen The Money-Spinners Finalist
Marion Royce Eunice Dyke: Health Care Pioneer Finalist
1985 Warabe Aska Who Goes to the Park Winner
J.M.S. Careless Toronto to 1918 Winner
Josef Skvorecky The Engineer of Human Souls Winner
Patrick Brode Sir John Beverley Robinson Finalist
Margaret McKelvey and Merlyn McKelvey Toronto: Carved in Stone Finalist
David G. Pitt E.J. Pratt: The Truant Years 1882-1927 Finalist
Victor L. Russell Forging a Consensus Finalist
1986 Morley Callaghan Our Lady of the Snows Winner
Robertson Davies What's Bred in the Bone Winner
Neil Bissoondath Digging Up the Mountains Finalist
Rosemary Donegan Spadina Avenue Finalist
James Lemon Toronto Since 1918: An Illustrated History Finalist
Patricia McHugh Toronto Architecture: A City Guide Finalist
1987 William Dendy and William Kilbourn Toronto Observed: Its Architecture, Patrons and History Winner
John Coldwell Adams Sir Charles God Damn: The Life of Sir Charles G.D. Roberts Finalist
June Callwood Twelve Weeks in Spring Finalist
Lovat Dickson The Museum Makers: The Story of the Royal Ontario Museum Finalist
Michael Filey Not a One-Horse Town: 125 Years of Toronto and Its Streetcars Finalist
Martin O'Malley Hospital: Life and Death in a Major Medical Centre Finalist
1988 Michael Ondaatje In the Skin of a Lion Winner
Joan Hollobon The Lion's Tale: A History of the Wellesley Hospital, 1912-1978 Finalist
Cyril H. Levitt and William Shaffir The Riot at Christie Pits Finalist
Tom MacDonnell Never Let Go: The Tragedy of Kristy McFarlane Finalist
Anna Porter Mortal Sins Finalist
1989 Margaret Atwood Cat's Eye Winner
Shirley Faessler A Basket of Apples Finalist
Robert Fulford Best Seat in the House Finalist
Alison Gordon The Dead Pull Hitter Finalist
Michael Kluckner Toronto The Way It Was Finalist
Rick Salutin A Man of Little Faith Finalist
Paul Stuewe The Storm Below: The Turbulent Life and Times of Hugh Garner Finalist

1990s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 1990-1999
Year Author Title Result
1990 Hilary Russell Double Take: The Story of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres Winner
Guy Vanderhaeghe Homesick Winner
John Ayre Northrop Frye Finalist
Don Bailey Memories of Margaret Finalist
Stuart McLean The Morningside World of Stuart McLean Finalist
M. NourbeSe Philip Harriet's Daughter Finalist
Jack Pollock Dear M Finalist
1991 Cary Fagan and Robert MacDonald (eds.) Streets of Attitude: Toronto Stories Winner
Cary Fagan City Hall and Mrs. God Finalist
Mary Jo Leddy Say to the Darkness, We Beg to Differ Finalist
Claire MacKay and Johnny Wales The Toronto Story Finalist
Jocko Thomas From Police Headquarters Finalist
Morley Torgov St. Farb's Day Finalist
Dan Yashinsky Tales for an Unknown City Finalist
1992 Katherine Govier Hearts of Flame Winner
Margaret Atwood Wilderness Tips Finalist
David Gilmour How Boys See Girls Finalist
Kenneth Oppel and Regolo Ricci Cosimo Cat Finalist
Allan Stratton Bag Babies Finalist
Gregory Ward The Carpet King Finalist
Marianne Zeitlin Next of Kin Finalist
1993 Carole Corbeil Voice-Over Winner
David Donnell China Blues Winner
Paul Donovan Paint Cans Finalist
Paul Kropp Ellen/Elena/Luna Finalist
Don Ritchie North Toronto Finalist
1994 Timothy Findley Headhunter Winner
Margaret Atwood The Robber Bride Finalist
Nancy Baker The Night Inside Finalist
Catherine Bush Minus Time Finalist
John Ibbitson The Night Hazel Came to Town Finalist
William Kilbourn Intimate Grandeur Finalist
1995 Ezra Schabas Sir Ernest MacMillan: The Importance of Being Canadian Winner
Jack Batten The Leafs: An Anecdotal History of the Toronto Maple Leafs Finalist
Cary Fagan The Animals' Waltz Finalist
Eric Wright Moodie's Tale Finalist
1996 Rosemary Sullivan Shadow Maker: The Life of Gwendolyn MacEwen Winner
Timothy Findley The Piano Man's Daughter Finalist
Robert Fulford Accidental City Finalist
Wayne Grady Toronto the Wild, Field Notes of an Urban Naturalist Finalist
Greg Kramer The Pursemonger of Fugu Finalist
Tim Wynne-Jones The Maestro Finalist
1997 Anne Michaels Fugitive Pieces Winner
David Eddie Chump Change Finalist
Kevin Irie The Colour of Eden Finalist
Kim Moritsugu Looks Perfect Finalist
Richard Scrimger Crosstown Finalist
1998 Helen Humphreys Leaving Earth Winner
Carole Corbeil In the Wings Finalist
Joanne Gerber In the Misleading Absence of Light Finalist
Bruce McCall Thin Ice Finalist
Barbara Nichol Dippers Finalist
Antanas Sileika Buying on Time Finalist
1999 Richard Outram Benedict Abroad Winner
Dennis Bock Olympia Finalist
James Chatto The Man Who Ate Toronto: Memoirs of a Restaurant Lover Finalist
Derek McCormack and Chris Chambers Wild Mouse Finalist
Stuart McLean Home from the Vinyl Cafe Finalist

2000s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 2000-2009
Year Author Title Result
2000 Camilla Gibb Mouthing the Words Winner
Jennifer Duncan Sanctuary and Other Stories Finalist
Greg Gatenby Toronto - A Literary Guide Finalist
Conrad E. Heidenreich, Betty Ida Roots, and Donald A. Chant Betty Ida Roots and Donald A. Chant, Special Places: The Changing Ecosystems of the Toronto Region Finalist
Russell Smith Young Men Finalist
2001 A.B. McKillop The Spinster and the Prophet: Florence Deeks, H.G. Wells and the Mystery of the Purloined Past Winner
Margaret Atwood The Blind Assassin Finalist
Catherine Bush The Rules of Engagement Finalist
Jean Cochrane and Vincenzo Pietropaolo Kensington Finalist
Tessa McWatt Dragons Cry Finalist
2002 Sarah Dearing Courage My Love Winner
Douglas Bell Run Over: A Boy, His Mother and An Accident Finalist
Jane Lind Joyce Wieland: Artist on Fire Finalist
Erín Moure Sheep's Vigil by a Fervent Person Finalist
Michael Redhill Martin Sloane Finalist
Elizabeth Ruth Ten Good Seconds of Silence Finalist
2003 Joe Fiorito The Song Beneath the Ice Winner
Dionne Brand thirsty Finalist
Eric McCormack The Dutch Wife Finalist
Judith Merril and Emily Pohl-Weary Better to Have Loved: The Life of Judith Merril Finalist
Makeda Silvera The Heart Does Not Bend Finalist
2004 Kevin Bazzana Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould Winner
Kate Taylor Mme. Proust and the Kosher Kitchen Winner
Tom Cruickshank and John de Visser Old Toronto Houses Finalist
Kristen den Hartog The Perpetual Ending Finalist
Aren X. Tulchinsky The Five Books of Moses Lapinsky Finalist
2005 David Bezmozgis Natasha and Other Stories Winner
Constance Backhouse and Nancy L. Backhouse The Heiress vs. the Establishment: Mrs. Campbell's Campaign for Legal Justice Finalist
Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall Down to This: Squalor and Splendour in a Big-City Shantytown Finalist
Don Coles Doctor Bloom's Story Finalist
Russell Smith Muriella Pent Finalist
2006 Dionne Brand What We All Long For Winner
Howard Akler The City Man Finalist
Stephen Marche Raymond and Hannah Finalist
Jason McBride and Alana Wilcox (eds.) uTOpia: Towards a New Toronto Finalist
M.G. Vassanji When She Was Queen Finalist
2007 Michael Redhill Consolation Winner
Sally Gibson Inside Toronto: Urban Interiors 1880s to 1920s Finalist
Geoffrey James Toronto Finalist
Vincent Lam Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures Finalist
Raymond Souster Uptown Downtown Finalist
2008 Glen Downie Loyalty Management Winner
Elspeth Cameron And Beauty Answers: The Life of Frances Loring and Florence Wyle Finalist
David Chariandy Soucouyant Finalist
Elyse Friedman Long Story Short Finalist
Barbara Gowdy Helpless Finalist
2009 Austin Clarke More Winner
Anthony De Sa Barnacle Love Finalist
Maggie Helwig Girls Fall Down Finalist
Mark Osbaldeston Unbuilt Toronto Finalist
Charles Wilkins In the Land of Long Fingernails Finalist

2010s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 2000-2009
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2010 Mark Sinnett The Carnivore Winner [3]
Seán Cullen The Prince of Neither Here Nor There Finalist [4]
Cary Fagan Valentine's Fall Finalist [4]
Lauren Kirshner Where We Have to Go Finalist [4]
Dragan Todorović Diary of Interrupted Days Finalist [4]
2011 Rabindranath Maharaj The Amazing Absorbing Boy Winner
James FitzGerald What Disturbs Our Blood Finalist [5]
James King Étienne's Alphabet Finalist [5]
Nicholas Ruddock The Parabolist Finalist [5]
Alissa York Fauna Finalist [5]
2012 J. Borkowski Copernicus Avenue Winner
Dave Bidini Writing Gordon Lightfoot: TheMan, the Music, and the World in 1972 Finalist [6]
Farzana Doctor Six Metres of Pavement Finalist [6]
Michele Landsberg Writing the Revolution Finalist [6]
Suzanne Robertson Paramita, Little Black Finalist [6]
2013 Kamal Al-Solaylee Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes Winner [7]
Patrick Cummins and Shawn Micallef Full Frontal T.O. Finalist [8]
Kevin Irie Viewing Tom Thomson, A Minority Report Finalist [8]
Aga Maksimowska Giant Finalist [8]
Katrina Onstad Everybody Has Everything Finalist [8]
2014 Charlotte Gray The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master and the Trial that Shocked a Country Winner [9]
Anthony De Sa Kicking the Sky Finalist [10]
Carrianne Leung The Wondrous Woo Finalist [10]
Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis The Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement Finalist [10]
Shyam Selvadurai The Hungry Ghosts Finalist [10]
2015 Emily St. John Mandel Station Eleven Winner [11][12]
André Alexis Fifteen Dogs Finalist [13]
Margaret Atwood Stone Mattress Finalist [13]
Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer All the Broken Things Finalist [13]
Bruce McDougall The Last Hockey Game Finalist [13]
2016 Cordelia Strube On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light Winner [14]
Howard Akler Men of Action Finalist [15]
Ann Y. K. Choi Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety Finalist [15]
John Lorinc, Michael McClelland, Ellen Scheinberg, and Tatum Taylor The Ward: The Life and Loss of Toronto’s First Immigrant Neighbourhood Finalist [15]
Marnie Woodrow Heyday Finalist [15]
2017 B. Denham Jolly In the Black: My Life Winner [16]
Jen Agg I Hear She's a Real Bitch Finalist [17][18]
Catherine Hernandez Scarborough Finalist [17][18]
John Lorinc, Jane Farrow, Stephanie Chambers, Maureen FitzGerald, Tim McCaskell, Rebecka Sheffield, Tatum Taylor, Rahim Thawer, and Ed Jackson Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer Finalist [17][18]
James Maskalyk Life on the Ground Floor: Letters from the Edge of Emergency Medicine Finalist [17][18]
2018 David Chariandy Brother Winner [19][20]
Dionne Brand The Unpublished City Finalist [21][22]
Carrianne Leung That Time I Loved You Finalist [21][22]
Lee Maracle My Conversations with Canadians Finalist [21][22]
Kerri Sakamoto Floating City Finalist [21][22]
2019 Dionne Brand Theory Winner [23][24]
Mike Barnes Be With: Letters to a Caregiver Finalist [23]
Cary Fagan The Student Finalist [23]
Didier Leclair This Country of Mine Finalist [23]
Ian Williams Reproduction Finalist [23]

2020s
Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 2000-2009
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2020 Desmond Cole The Skin We're In Winner [25][26]
Jean March Ah-Sen In the Beggarly Style of Imitation Finalist [27][28][29]
Vivian Chong and Georgia Webbe Dancing after TEN Finalist [27][28][29]
Katie Daubs The Missing Millionaire Finalist [27][28][29]
Zalika Reid-Benta Frying Plantain Finalist [27][28][29]
2021 Kim Echlin Speak, Silence Winner [30][31]
Catherine Graham Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric Finalist [32]
Faye Guenther Swimmers in Winter Finalist [32]
Catherine Hernandez Crosshairs Finalist [32]
Justin Ling Missing From the Village Finalist [32]
Rinaldo Walcott On Property Finalist [32]
2022 Sarah Polley Run Towards the Danger Winner [33][34]
Camilla Gibb The Relatives Finalist
Falen Johnson Two Indians Finalist
H. N. Khan Wrong Side of the Court Finalist
Adrienne Shadd, Afua Cooper, and Karolyn Smardz Frost The Underground Railroad Finalist

References
  1. "About the Toronto Book Awards". City of Toronto, official Web site. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
  2. "Three writers share book award". The Globe and Mail, February 24, 1984.
  3. "Awards: Toronto Book Award". Shelf Awareness. 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  4. "Awards: PEN Pinter Prize; Toronto Book Award Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  5. "Awards: Toronto Book Award Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  6. "Awards: James Tait Black Winners; Toronto Book Awards". Shelf Awareness. 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  7. "Kamal Al-Solaylee wins Toronto Book Award". The Toronto Star. 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  8. "Awards: Thurber Prize for American Humor; Toronto Book". Shelf Awareness. 2013-08-20. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  9. "Awards: Planeta; Toronto Book". Shelf Awareness. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  10. "Awards: Academy of American Poets; Toronto Book". Shelf Awareness. 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  11. Dundas, Deborah (2015-10-15). "Emily St. John Mandel wins 2015 Toronto Book Award". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  12. "Awards: Toronto Book; Clark for Art Writing". Shelf Awareness. 2015-10-19. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  13. "Awards: Toronto Book Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  14. "Awards: Toronto Book Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  15. "Awards: First Novel; Toronto Book". Shelf Awareness. 2016-09-01. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  16. Patrick, Ryan B. (October 13, 2017). "B. Denham Jolly's memoir about growing up Black in Toronto wins Toronto Book Award". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  17. van Koeverden, Jane (2017-08-24). "Jen Agg, Catherine Hernandez nominated for Toronto Book Awards". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  18. Medley, Mark (2017-08-24). "Toronto Book Awards short list announced". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  19. Dundas, Deborah (2018-10-10). "David Chariandy's novel Brother wins $10,000 Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  20. Patrick, Ryan B. (2017-08-24). "David Chariandy wins $10K Toronto Book Award for novel Brother". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  21. "Awards: Toronto Book Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  22. van Koeverden, Jane (2018-08-09). "Dionne Brand, David Chariandy, Lee Maracle shortlisted for $10K Toronto Book Award". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  23. Dundas, Deborah (2019-10-02). "Dionne Brand named winner of 2019 Toronto Book Awards". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  24. Balser, Erin (2019-10-03). "Dionne Brand wins $10K Toronto Book Award for novel Theory". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  25. Porter, Ryan (2020-12-02). "Desmond Cole will donate half his Toronto Book Award prize winnings as he calls for TPL, city of Toronto "to do better"". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  26. CBC Radio (2020-09-11). "2020 Toronto Book Award winner Desmond Cole calls out anti-Black racism with his book The Skin We're In". [CBC.ca]]. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  27. Porter, Ryan (2020-11-02). "Shortlist announced for $10,000 Toronto Book Awards". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  28. "Awards: Waterstones Book of the Year, Toronto Book Shortlists". Shelf Awareness. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  29. CBC Books (2020-11-02). "Desmond Cole & Zalika Reid-Benta among finalists for $10K Toronto Book Award". CBC Books. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  30. Drudi, Cassandra (October 5, 2021). "Kim Echlin wins $10,000 Toronto Book Award". Quill & Quire. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  31. Qiao, Vicky (2021-10-06). "Kim Echlin wins $10K Toronto Book Award for novel Speak, Silence". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  32. "Awards: Toronto Book Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2021-08-13. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  33. "Sarah Polley wins $10K Toronto Book Award for 'brave, intelligent' memoir Run Towards Danger". CBC.ca. 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  34. "Awards: Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse, Toronto Book Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
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