Toronto Book Awards Explained

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!Ref.

1974		O Toronto	Winner	^[2]
		Mayor Howland	Winner
		In the Middle of a Life	Winner
	and Joseph Ernst		Finalist	^[3]
		Storm of Fortune	Finalist
		Richard Howard and Helmut Weyerstrahs, Passengers Must Not Ride on Fender	Finalist
			Finalist
		Cities	Finalist
1975		Halfway Up Parnassus	Winner	^[4]
		Women at Work	Winner
			Winner
		Sick Kids	Finalist	^[5]
		Canadian Healing Oil	Finalist
			Finalist
		Alligator Pie - Nicholas Knock	Finalist
		Albert Franck: His Life, Times and Work	Finalist
1976	and Harold Troper	Immigrants: A Portrait of the Urban Experience 1890-1930	Winner	^[6]
			Winner
			Finalist
			Finalist
			Finalist
		Poet Cop	Finalist
		Gabriel	Finalist
	and Angela Wood		Finalist
1977		Lady Oracle	Winner	^[7]
			Winner
		Trillium and Toronto Island	Finalist
			Finalist
		When I Was Young	Finalist
			Finalist
			Finalist
1978	and H. V. Nelles		Winner	^[8]
			Winner
			Finalist	^[9]
		Close to the Sun Again	Finalist
	and Barbara Amiel	By Persons Unknown	Finalist
1979			Winner	^[10]
		Lost Toronto	Winner
		Fun Tomorrow	Winner
		No Man's Meat and The Enchanted Pimp	Finalist
			Finalist
			Finalist
			Finalist
		Landmarks of Canadian Art	Finalist
		City Boys	Finalist

1980s

Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 1980-1989!Year!Author!Title!Result!Ref.

1980		Hanging In	Winner	^[11]
			Winner
		From Front Street to Queen's Park: The Story of Ontario's Parliament Buildings	Finalist	^[12]	review sparks libel action". The Globe and Mail, February 12, 1980.
		Life Before Man	Finalist
		Everything in the Window	Finalist
		Reservoir Ravine	Finalist
		Upper Canada College 1928-1979: Colbourne's Legacy	Finalist
		Memoirs of an Art Dealer	Finalist
1981		Big Daddy: Frederick G. Gardiner and the Building of Metropolitan Toronto	Winner	^[13]
		Young Mr. Smith in Upper Canada	Winner
		Basic Black with Pearls	Winner
		Toronto Workers Respond to Industrial Capitalism, 1867-1892	Finalist
			Finalist
		Jarvis Street: A Story of Triumph and Tragedy	Finalist
		Final Things	Finalist
1982			Winner	^[14]
		Lunatic Villas	Winner
			Finalist
		I Remember Sunnyside	Finalist
		That Scatterbrain Booky	Finalist
		Remembering the Don	Finalist
	with Scott Young	If You Can't Beat 'Em in the Alley	Finalist
1983			Winner	^[15]
			Winner
			Finalist
	and John Lennox	William Arthur Deacon: A Canadian Literary Life	Finalist
			Finalist
1984		Toronto in Art	Winner	^[16]
		David Boyle: From Artisan to Archaeologist	Winner
			Winner
			Finalist
			Finalist
		Eunice Dyke: Health Care Pioneer	Finalist
1985		Who Goes to the Park	Winner	^[17]
		Toronto to 1918	Winner
			Winner
		Sir John Beverley Robinson	Finalist	^[18]
	and Merlyn McKelvey	Toronto: Carved in Stone	Finalist
		E.J. Pratt: The Truant Years 1882-1927	Finalist
		Forging a Consensus	Finalist
1986		Our Lady of the Snows	Winner	^[19]
		What's Bred in the Bone	Winner
		Digging Up the Mountains	Finalist	^[20]
		Spadina Avenue	Finalist
		Toronto Since 1918: An Illustrated History	Finalist
		Toronto Architecture: A City Guide	Finalist
1987	and William Kilbourn	Toronto Observed: Its Architecture, Patrons and History	Winner	^[21]
		Sir Charles God Damn: The Life of Sir Charles G.D. Roberts	Finalist
		Twelve Weeks in Spring	Finalist
			Finalist
		Not a One-Horse Town: 125 Years of Toronto and Its Streetcars	Finalist
		Hospital: Life and Death in a Major Medical Centre	Finalist
1988		In the Skin of a Lion	Winner	^[22]
			Finalist	^[23]
	and William Shaffir		Finalist
		Never Let Go: The Tragedy of Kristy McFarlane	Finalist
		Mortal Sins	Finalist
1989		Cat's Eye	Winner	^[24]
			Finalist	^[25]
		Best Seat in the House	Finalist
			Finalist
		Toronto The Way It Was	Finalist
			Finalist
			Finalist

1990s

Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 1990-1999!Year!Author!Title!Result!Ref.

1990		Double Take: The Story of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres	Winner	^[26]
		Homesick	Winner
		Northrop Frye	Finalist	^[27]
		Memories of Margaret	Finalist
			Finalist
		Harriet's Daughter	Finalist
		Dear M	Finalist
1991	and Robert MacDonald (eds.)	Streets of Attitude: Toronto Stories	Winner	^[28]
		City Hall and Mrs. God: A Passionate Journey Through a Changing Toronto	Finalist	^[29]
		Say to the Darkness, We Beg to Differ	Finalist
	and Johnny Wales		Finalist
		From Police Headquarters	Finalist
		St. Farb's Day	Finalist
		Tales for an Unknown City	Finalist
1992		Hearts of Flame	Winner	^[30]
		Wilderness Tips	Finalist
		How Boys See Girls	Finalist
	and Regolo Ricci	Cosimo Cat	Finalist
		Bag Babies	Finalist
			Finalist
		Next of Kin	Finalist
1993		Voice-Over	Winner	^[31]
		China Blues	Winner
		Paint Cans	Finalist	^[32]
		Ellen/Elena/Luna	Finalist
		North Toronto	Finalist
1994		Headhunter	Winner	^[33]
			Finalist	^[34]
			Finalist
		Minus Time	Finalist
			Finalist
		Intimate Grandeur	Finalist
1995		Sir Ernest MacMillan: The Importance of Being Canadian	Winner	^[35]
			Finalist	^[36]
			Finalist
		Moodie's Tale	Finalist
1996		Shadow Maker: The Life of Gwendolyn MacEwen	Winner	^[37]
			Finalist	^[38]
		Accidental City	Finalist
		Toronto the Wild, Field Notes of an Urban Naturalist	Finalist
			Finalist
			Finalist
1997		Fugitive Pieces	Winner	^[39]
		Chump Change	Finalist
			Finalist
		Looks Perfect	Finalist
		Crosstown	Finalist
1998		Leaving Earth	Winner	^[40]
		In the Wings	Finalist	^[41]
		In the Misleading Absence of Light	Finalist
		Thin Ice	Finalist
		Dippers	Finalist
		Buying on Time	Finalist
1999		Benedict Abroad	Winner	^[42]
		Olympia	Finalist	^[43]
			Finalist
	and Chris Chambers	Wild Mouse	Finalist
		Home from the Vinyl Cafe	Finalist

2000s

Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 2000-2009!Year!Author!Title!Result!Ref.

2000		Mouthing the Words	Winner	^[44]
		Sanctuary and Other Stories	Finalist	^[45]
		Toronto - A Literary Guide	Finalist
	, Betty Ida Roots, and Donald A. Chant	Betty Ida Roots and Donald A. Chant, Special Places: The Changing Ecosystems of the Toronto Region	Finalist
		Young Men	Finalist
2001			Winner	^[46]
			Finalist	^[47]
			Finalist
	and Vincenzo Pietropaolo	Kensington	Finalist
		Dragons Cry	Finalist
2002		Courage My Love	Winner	^[48]
		Run Over: A Boy, His Mother and An Accident	Finalist
		Joyce Wieland: Artist on Fire	Finalist
		Sheep's Vigil by a Fervent Person	Finalist
		Martin Sloane	Finalist
		Ten Good Seconds of Silence	Finalist
2003			Winner	^[49]
		thirsty	Finalist	^[50]
			Finalist
	and Emily Pohl-Weary	Better to Have Loved: The Life of Judith Merril	Finalist
			Finalist
2004		Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould	Winner	^[51]
		Mme. Proust and the Kosher Kitchen	Winner
	and John de Visser	Old Toronto Houses	Finalist	^[52]
			Finalist
			Finalist
2005		Natasha and Other Stories	Winner	^[53]
	and Nancy L. Backhouse		Finalist
		Down to This: Squalor and Splendour in a Big-City Shantytown	Finalist
		Doctor Bloom's Story	Finalist
		Muriella Pent	Finalist
2006		What We All Long For	Winner	^[54]
			Finalist	^[55]
		Raymond and Hannah	Finalist
	and Alana Wilcox (eds.)	uTOpia: Towards a New Toronto	Finalist
		When She Was Queen	Finalist
2007		Consolation	Winner	^[56]
		Inside Toronto: Urban Interiors 1880s to 1920s	Finalist	^[57]
		Toronto	Finalist
		Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures	Finalist
		Uptown Downtown	Finalist
2008		Loyalty Management	Winner	^[58]
		And Beauty Answers: The Life of Frances Loring and Florence Wyle	Finalist
		Soucouyant	Finalist
		Long Story Short	Finalist
		Helpless	Finalist
2009		More	Winner	^[59]
		Barnacle Love	Finalist	^[60]
		Girls Fall Down	Finalist
		Unbuilt Toronto	Finalist
		In the Land of Long Fingernails	Finalist

2010s

Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 2000-2009!Year!Author!Title!Result!Ref.

2010			Winner	^[61]
			Finalist	^[62]
		Valentine's Fall	Finalist
		Where We Have to Go	Finalist
		Diary of Interrupted Days	Finalist
2011			Winner	^[63]
		What Disturbs Our Blood	Finalist	^[64]
		Étienne's Alphabet	Finalist
			Finalist
		Fauna	Finalist
2012		Copernicus Avenue	Winner	^[65]
		Writing Gordon Lightfoot: The Man, the Music, and the World in 1972	Finalist	^[66]
		Six Metres of Pavement	Finalist
		Writing the Revolution	Finalist
		Paramita, Little Black	Finalist
2013		Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes	Winner	^[67]
	and Shawn Micallef	Full Frontal T.O.	Finalist	^[68]
		Viewing Tom Thomson, A Minority Report	Finalist
		Giant	Finalist
		Everybody Has Everything	Finalist
2014			Winner	^[69]
		Kicking the Sky	Finalist
			Finalist
	and Andrea Curtis		Finalist
			Finalist
2015		Station Eleven	Winner	^[70]
		Fifteen Dogs	Finalist
		Stone Mattress	Finalist
		All the Broken Things	Finalist
			Finalist
2016		On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light	Winner	^[71]
		Men of Action	Finalist
		Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety	Finalist
	, Michael McClelland, Ellen Scheinberg, and Tatum Taylor		Finalist
		Heyday	Finalist
2017		In the Black: My Life	Winner	^[72]
		I Hear She's a Real Bitch	Finalist	^[73]
		Scarborough	Finalist
	, 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
			Finalist
2018		Brother	Winner	^[74]
			Finalist	^[75]
		That Time I Loved You	Finalist
		My Conversations with Canadians	Finalist
		Floating City	Finalist
2019		Theory	Winner	^[76]
		Be With: Letters to a Caregiver	Finalist
			Finalist
		This Country of Mine	Finalist
		Reproduction	Finalist

2020s

Toronto Book Awards winners and finalists, 2000-2009!Year!Author!Title!Result!Ref.

2020			Winner	^[77]
		In the Beggarly Style of Imitation	Finalist	^[78]
	and Georgia Webbe	Dancing after TEN
		Frying Plantain
2021		Speak, Silence	Winner	^[79]
		Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric	Finalist	^[80]
		Swimmers in Winter
		Crosshairs
		Missing from the Village
		On Property
2022		Run Towards the Danger	Winner	^[81]
			Finalist
		Two Indians
		Wrong Side of the Court
	, Afua Cooper, and Karolyn Smardz Frost
2023	, Georgiana Uhlyarik	Moving the Museum	Winner	^[82]
		Nomenclature	Finalist	^[83]
		Wildfires
		Finding Edward
		Clara at the Door with a Revolver
2024	Maurice Vellekoop	I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together	Winner	^[84]
	Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio	Reuniting with Strangers	Finalist	^[85]
	Kristen den Hartog	The Roosting Box
	Connie Gault	The Rasmussen Papers
	Paul McLaughlin	The Suicide Magnet: Inside the Battle to Erect a Safety Barrier on Toronto’s Bloor Viaduct

External links

• Toronto Book Awards (City of Toronto Web site)

Notes and References

1. Web site: About the Toronto Book Awards. City of Toronto, official Web site. 2009-06-19.
2. William French, "City politics to city prose". The Globe and Mail, April 18, 1974.
3. William French, "CanLit rising". The Globe and Mail, April 9, 1974.
4. Roy MacSkimming, "Margaret Laurence to receive country's top literary prize". Toronto Star, April 29, 1975.
5. Roy MacSkimming, "Author's guerrilla satire a dismal flop". Toronto Star, April 3, 1975.
6. Margaret Worthington, "Smelly classroom tale has a happy ending". Toronto Star, May 10, 1976.
7. [Ken Adachi]
8. Zena Cherry, "Toronto gives merit awards". The Globe and Mail, March 6, 1978.
9. [Ken Adachi]
10. [Ken Adachi]
11. [Ken Adachi]
12. William French, "Balls
13. "Three books tie for Toronto prize". The Globe and Mail, March 5, 1981.
14. "Engel, Bissell share $5,000". The Globe and Mail, February 25, 1982.
15. "Story of insulin wins Toronto book award". Toronto Star, February 25, 1983.
16. "Three writers share book award". The Globe and Mail, February 24, 1984.
17. "Three authors share city award". Toronto Star, March 1, 1985.
18. William French, "Awards plagued by controversy". The Globe and Mail, February 12, 1985.
19. "Davies, Callaghan share prize". Toronto Star, February 28, 1986.
20. "Finalists announced for book awards". Toronto Star, January 22, 1986.
21. "Architectural book takes civic award". The Globe and Mail, May 1, 1987.
22. [Ken Adachi]
23. H.J. Kirchhoff, "Finalists named for book awards". The Globe and Mail, February 25, 1988.
24. "Atwood takes Toronto book prize". The Globe and Mail, April 27, 1989.
25. "Three double nominees for major book awards". Toronto Star, February 28, 1989.
26. "Novelist, historian take book prizes". The Globe and Mail, April 26, 1990.
27. "Contest finalists announced". Toronto Star, February 28, 1990.
28. Philip Marchand, "Short stories collection wins Toronto book prize". Toronto Star, May 23, 1991.
29. "Toronto Book Awards finalists named". Toronto Star, April 3, 1991.
30. "Govier wins Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, May 21, 1992.
31. Michael Smith, "Word on the Street festival celebrates 4th successful year". Toronto Star, September 27, 1993.
32. "T.O.'s Best Books". Toronto Star, September 21, 1993.
33. "Findley's Headhunter wins book award". The Globe and Mail, September 27, 1994.
34. "'94 book fair features words in the street". The Globe and Mail, September 17, 1994.
35. "Schabas wins Toronto book award". Montreal Gazette, September 27, 1995.
36. "Four book finalists named". Toronto Star, August 24, 1995.
37. "Biography wins Toronto Book award". The Globe and Mail, September 30, 1996.
38. "City of Toronto Book Award finalists announced". Vancouver Sun, August 24, 1996.
39. Elizabeth Renzetti, "Fugitive Pieces collects award: Anne Michaels wins $15,000 book prize". The Globe and Mail, September 29, 1997.
40. "Humphreys wins book award for her first novel". The Globe and Mail, September 28, 1998.
41. "Book prize finalists named". Ottawa Citizen, September 3, 1998.
42. "Poet wins Toronto Award at literary festival". The Globe and Mail, September 27, 1999.
43. Jennifer Prittie, "Toronto Book Award shortlist chosen from 76 entries". National Post, September 9, 1999.
44. "First time novelist wins Toronto literary festival book prize". Prince Rupert Daily News, September 25, 2000.
45. Don Wanagas, "Toronto Book Awards finalists announced: Five works on short list: $15,000 in prize money to be awarded". National Post, September 7, 2000.
46. "Historian wins $10,000 book award". Moose Jaw Times-Herald, October 1, 2001.
47. "Five finalists on the list for $15,000 in prizes in the 2001 Toronto Book Awards". National Post, September 6, 2001.
48. James Adams, "'Bittersweet' win for author". The Globe and Mail, September 30, 2002.
49. "Toronto book award goes to Joe Fiorito". Brantford Expositor, September 20, 2003.
50. "Fiorito, four others bid for Toronto book award". Toronto Star, June 18, 2003.
51. "Bazzana, Taylor win 2004 Toronto Book Awards". Nelson Daily News, September 10, 2004.
52. Rob Shaw, "Authors share book prize". The Globe and Mail, September 10, 2004.
53. Guy Dixon, "Bezmozgis wins 2005 Toronto Book Award". The Globe and Mail, September 9, 2005.
54. "Brand wins book award". Prince George Citizen, September 8, 2006.
55. "Dionne Brand, M.G. Vassanji on shortlist for Toronto Book Awards". Canadian Press, June 5, 2006.
56. James Adams, "Consolation wins Toronto Book Awards". The Globe and Mail, September 6, 2007.
57. "Toronto Book Award nominees announced". The Globe and Mail, June 21, 2007.
58. Vit Wagner, "Downie wins Toronto Book Award; Loyalty Management takes $15,000 prize". Toronto Star, October 18, 2008.
59. Adam McDowell, "Austin Clarke wins Toronto Book Award". National Post, October 16, 2009.
60. "2009 finalists named for Toronto Book Awards". The Globe and Mail, September 16, 2009.
61. "Mark Sinnett wins Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, October 15, 2010.
62. Mark Medley, "Sean Cullen, Mark Sinnett among 2010 Toronto Book Award Nominees". National Post, September 17, 2010.
63. Andrew Gorham, "Rabindranath Maharaj wins Toronto Book Award". The Globe and Mail, October 13, 2011.
64. "Toronto Book Awards finalists named". Toronto Star, September 7, 2011.
65. "Borkowski wins Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, October 12, 2012.
66. "Bidini vies for Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, August 28, 2012.
67. Web site: October 9, 2012 . Kamal Al-Solaylee wins Toronto Book Award . . en.
68. Deborah Dundas, "Six finalists vying for 2014 Toronto Book Awards: Winner will be announced at celebration in October". Toronto Star, August 23, 2014.
69. Deborah Dundas, "Charlotte Gray's crime book wins Toronto Book Award: True story of 1915 murder captures $10,000 prize". Toronto Star, October 17, 2014.
70. Web site: Dundas . Deborah . October 15, 2015 . Emily St. John Mandel wins 2015 Toronto Book Award . . en.
71. Debra Yeo, "Cordelia Strube wins 2016 Toronto Book Award". Toronto Star, October 11, 2016.
72. Web site: Patrick . Ryan B. . October 13, 2017 . B. Denham Jolly's memoir about growing up Black in Toronto wins Toronto Book Award . CBC News.
73. Web site: van Koeverden . Jane . August 24, 2017 . Jen Agg, Catherine Hernandez nominated for Toronto Book Awards . CBC News.
74. News: Dundas . Deborah . October 10, 2018 . David Chariandy’s novel Brother wins $10,000 Toronto Book Award . en-US . .
75. Web site: van Koeverden . Jane . August 9, 2018 . Dionne Brand, David Chariandy, Lee Maracle shortlisted for $10K Toronto Book Award . CBC News.
76. Web site: Dundas . Deborah . October 2, 2019 . Dionne Brand named winner of 2019 Toronto Book Awards . 2023-02-03 . . en.
77. Web site: Porter . Ryan . December 2, 2020 . Desmond Cole will donate half his Toronto Book Award prize winnings as he calls for TPL, city of Toronto "to do better" . . en.
78. Web site: Porter . Ryan . November 2, 2020 . Shortlist announced for $10,000 Toronto Book Awards . . en.
79. Web site: Drudi . Cassandra . October 5, 2021 . Kim Echlin wins $10,000 Toronto Book Award . Quill & Quire.
80. News: Qiao . Vicky . 11 August 2021 . Missing From the Village by Justin Ling among six books shortlisted for $10K Toronto Book Awards . .
81. Web site: November 23, 2022 . Sarah Polley wins $10K Toronto Book Award for 'brave, intelligent' memoir Run Towards Danger . CBC Books.
82. Cassandra Drudi, "Wanda Nanibush and Georgiana Uhlyarik win 2023 Toronto Book Award". Quill & Quire, October 11, 2023.
83. https://quillandquire.com/omni/shortlist-announced-for-2023-toronto-book-awards/ "Shortlist announced for 2023 Toronto Book Awards"
84. https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/arts-culture/maurice-vellekoop-wins-2024-toronto-book-awards-9782207 "Maurice Vellekoop wins 2024 Toronto Book Awards"
85. Cassandra Drudi, "Five books shortlisted for 2024 Toronto Book Awards". Quill & Quire, September 12, 2024.