Hamilton author scores Governor General’s Literary Prize for fiction

A Hamilton-based author has taken home the top spot for fiction in this year’s Governor General’s Literary Awards.

Anuja Varghese’s ‘Chrysalis’ is her debut short story collection that dives into the complex intersections of family, community, sexuality and cultural expectation.

It is described by its publisher as “genre-blending stories of transformation and belonging that centre women of colour and explore queerness, family, and community.”

Varghese, who currently lives in Hamilton with her partner, holds a degree in English Literature from McGill University and its pursuing a certificate in creative writing from the University of Toronto.

Her work has been recognized in the PRISM International Short Fiction Contest, nominated for the Pushcart Prize and shortlisted for the Writers Trust of Canada Dayne Ogilvie Prize.

Chrysalis finds itself among 14 total titles named as the best books of 2023 by the awards. Each of these winners is set to receive $25,000.

Having been founded in 1936, the Governor General’s Literary Awards are one of the oldest and most prestigious prizes in the world of Canadian literature, with a combined annual prize value of $450,000.

Eligible books were published between August 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023, with finalists selected through a category-specific, language-based peer assessment committee.

In addition to the monetary prize awarded to each author, publishers will receive $3,000 to promote the winners and finalists will each take home $1,000.