Canisia Lubrin, Maurice Vellekoop among writers shortlisted for 2025 Trillium Book Awards

Award-winning titles by Canisia Lubrin and Maurice Vellekoop are among the books shortlisted for the 2025 Trillium Book Awards.

The shortlists, announced today by Ontario Creates, include 16 books in French and English across four categories.

The annual awards, now in their 38th year, recognize literary excellence in Ontario writers who work in both French and English. Winning authors of the Trillium Book Award and Prix Trillium receive $20,000, while winning poets of the Trillium Book Award for Poetry receive $10,000. Winning authors of the French-language prize for best children’s book receive $10,000. Publishers of the winning titles receive support to promote and market the winning books. Previous winners include Stuart Ross, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Dionne Brand, and last year’s winners, Nina Dunic and A. Light Zachary.

The winners will be announced on June 18.

Trillium Book Award

Wild Houses by Colin Barrett (McClelland & Stewart / Penguin Random House Canada)
My Fighting Family: Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made Us by Morgan Campbell (McClelland & Stewart / PRHC)
Code Noir by Canisia Lubrin (Alfred A. Knopf Canada / Penguin Random House Canada)
Who Will Bury You? And Other Stories by Chido Muchemwa (Astoria / House of Anansi Press)
I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together by Maurice Vellekoop (Random House Canada / Penguin Random House Canada)

Trillium Book Award for Poetry

The Seventh Town of Ghosts by Faith Arkorful (McClelland & Stewart / Penguin Random House Canada)
DADDY by Jake Byrne (Brick Books)
Terrarium by Matthew Walsh (icehouse poetry / Goose Lane Editions)

Prix Trillium

Céline au Congo by Aristote Kavungu (Les Éditions du Boréal)
Toronto jamais bleue by Marie-Hélène Larochelle (Leméac Éditeur)
Le prince africain, le traducteur et le nazi by Didier Leclair (Éditions David)
Un lourd prix à payer by Claire Ménard-Roussy (Éditions David)
Nickel City Fifs: Une épopée queer sudburoise sur fond de trous by Alex Tétreault (Prise de parole)

Prix du livre jeunesse Trillium