Transatlantic would like to congratulate Gary Barwin whose novel, YIDDISH FOR PIRATES (Penguin Random House Canada), has been shortlisted the the Governor General’s Award for Fiction!YIDDISH FOR PIRATES by Gary Barwin is a brilliant novel filled with Jewish takes on classic pirate tales – fights, prison escapes, and exploits on the high seas – but it’s also a tender love story. Rich with puns, colourful language, post-colonial satire and Kabbalistic hijinks, YIDDISH FOR PIRATES is also a compelling examination of mortality, memory, identity and persecution, from one of this country’s
most talented writers.
Each year, the Canada Council for the Arts honours the best in Canadian literature with its Governor General’s Literary Awards (the GGs). As Canada’s national literary awards, the GGs represent the rich diversity of Canadian literature. For each category, a peer assessment committee, comprised of fellow authors, translators and illustrators, makes the final selection. Each GG winner receives $25,000; each nonwinning finalist receives $1,000. The publisher of each winning book receives $3,000 to help promote the book.