# 2012 Governor General's Awards

The shortlisted nominees for the 2012 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were announced on October 11, and the winners were announced on November 13.

## English

| Category | Winner | Nominated |
| Fiction | Linda Spalding, The Purchase | Tamas Dobozy, Siege 13 Robert Hough, Dr. Brinkley's Tower Vincent Lam, The Headmaster's Wager Carrie Snyder, The Juliet Stories |
| Non-fiction | Ross King, Leonardo and the Last Supper | Nahlah Ayed, A Thousand Farewells: A Reporter's Journey from Refugee Camp to the Arab Spring Carol Bishop-Gwyn, The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca Wade Davis, Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest Noah Richler, What We Talk About When We Talk About War |
| Poetry | Julie Bruck, Monkey Ranch | David McGimpsey, Li'l Bastard A. F. Moritz, The New Measures Lisa Pasold, Any Bright Horse James Pollock, Sailing to Babylon |
| Drama | Catherine Banks, It Is Solved By Walking | Trina Davies, The Romeo Initiative Karen Hines, Drama: Pilot Episode Cathy Ostlere and Dennis Garnhum, Lost: A Memoir Anusree Roy, Brothel #9 |
| Children's literature | Susin Nielsen, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen | Rachel Hartman, Seraphina Deborah Kerbel, Under the Moon Judd Palmer, The Umbrella Allan Stratton, The Grave Robber's Apprentice |
| Children's illustration | Isabelle Arsenault, Virginia Wolf | Renné Benoit, Big City Bees Jon Klassen, House Held Up by Trees David Parkins, In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps It Up Barbara Reid, Picture a Tree |
| French to English translation | Nigel Spencer, Mai at the Predator's Ball (Marie-Claire Blais, Mai au bal des prédateurs) | Sheila Fischman, Ru (Kim Thúy, Ru) Michael Gilson, Mafia Inc.: The Long, Bloody Reign of Canada's Sicilian Clan (André Cédilot and André Noël, Mafia Inc. : Grandeur et misère du clan sicilien au Québec) John Murrell, The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs and Thinking of Yu (Carole Fréchette, La Petite pièce en haut de l'escalier and Je pense à Yu) Shelley Tepperman, The List (Jennifer Tremblay, La liste) |

## French

| Category | Winner | Nominated |
| Fiction | France Daigle, Pour sûr | Ryad Assani-Razaki, La main d'Iman Charles Bolduc, Les truites à mains nues Catherine Mavrikakis, Les derniers jours de Smokey Nelson Audrée Wilhelmy, Oss |
| Non-fiction | Normand Chaurette, Comment tuer Shakespeare | Pierre Nepveu, Gaston Miron : La vie d'un homme Pascal Riendeau, Méditation et vision de l'essai : Roland Barthes, Milan Kundera et Jacques Brault Yannick Roy, La révélation inachevée : le personnage à l'épreuve de la vérité romanesque |
| Poetry | Maude Smith Gagnon, Un drap. Une place. | Corinne Chevarier, Anatomie de l'objet Fredric Gary Comeau, Souffles Hélène Dorion, Cœurs, comme livres d'amour Christian Saint-Germain, Tomahawk |
| Drama | Geneviève Billette, Contre le temps | Simon Boudreault, D pour Dieu? Fabien Cloutier, Billy (Les jours de hurlement) Évelyne de la Chenelière, La chair et autres fragments de l'amour Philippe Ducros, Dissidents |
| Children's literature | Aline Apostolska, Un été d'amour et de cendres | Biz, La chute de Sparte (withdrawn from competition) Louise Bombardier, Quand j'étais chien Camille Bouchard, Le coup de la giraffe François Gravel, Hò |
| Children's illustration | Élise Gravel, La clé à molette | Marion Arbona, Lapin-Chagrin et les jours d'Elko Manon Gauthier, Giroflée Pois-Cassé Émilie Leduc, La ronde des mois Katty Maurey, Quand j'étais chien |
| English to French translation | Alain Roy, Glenn Gould (Mark Kingwell) | Sophie Cardinal-Corriveau, Un adieu à la musique (Charles Foran, Carolan's Farewell) Dominique Fortier, Une maison dans les nuages (Margaret Laurence, The Prophet's Camel Bell) Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné, Irma Voth (Miriam Toews, Irma Voth) Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné, La petite cousine de Freud (Ann Charney, Distantly Related to Freud) |