Canadian novelists Don Gillmor and Christine Lai have been longlisted for the second annual Republic of Consciousness Prize.

The prize celebrates the commitment of small presses in Canada and the U.S. to literary merit, and will distribute a total of $35,000 (U.S.) to the publishers and authors. The publisher of each of the 10 longlisted books will receive $2,000 (U.S.). A shortlist of five titles will be announced on March 5, with $3,000 (U.S.) to be split between the publisher and author of the shortlisted books. The winner will be announced on March 19.

Don Gillmor was longlisted for Breaking and Entering (Biblioasis), a novel about a 49-year-old woman who turns to lockpicking in the midst of a midlife crisis.

Christine Lai was longlisted for Landscapes (published in the U.S. by Two Dollar Radio and in Canada by Doubleday/PRHC), a country house novel set in the near future of climate catastrophe.

The longlist was chosen by a jury comprised of independent booksellers James Crossley, Lori Feathers, Amanda Qassar, and Zoe Grams (of Vancouver’s Upstart & Crow), and literary podcaster Paul Wilson.

The volunteer-run Republic of Consciousness Prize in the U.S. and Canada was founded in 2022. (The U.K.’s Republic of Consciousness Prize has been awarded since 2017.) Prize money is funded by public donations.