The 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize jury announced its longlist on Tuesday, September 6. This is the 18th year of the prize and a record-breaking number of books were submitted by publishers across the country, a total of 143. This year’s jury is made up of: award-winning Canadian writer and 2009 Giller finalist Annabel Lyon; American author, memoirist and Guggenheim fellow Howard Norman; and acclaimed UK playwright and prize-winning novelist Andrew O’Hagan.

For the first time ever, the Scotiabank Giller Prize invited the public to choose a book for the longlist. The Readers’ Choice contest received more than 4,000 entries from passionate readers arguing their case for a favourite book. The Readers’ Choice selection was Extensions by Myrna Day, a debut novel published by Newest Press.

Bezmozgis, David | The Free World
Blaise, Clark | The Meagre Tarmac
Christie, Michael | The Beggar’s Garden
Coady, Lynn | The Antagonist
deWitt, Patrick | The Sisters Brothers
Dey, Myrna | Extensions
Edugyan, Esi | Half-Blood Blues
Endicott, Marina | The Little Shadows
Gartner, Zsuzsi | Better Living Through Plastic Explosives
Gunn, Genni | Solitaria
Holdstock, Pauline | Into the Heart of the Country
Johnston, Wayne | A World Elsewhere
Laferrière, Dany (trans. David Homel) | The Return
Mayr, Suzette | Monoceros
Ondaatje, Michael | The Cat’s Table
Vanderhaeghe, Guy | A Good Man
Zentner, Alexi | Touch

2011 Giller Prize Longlist – Scotiabank Giller Prize.