The Canada Council for the Arts has announced this year’s Governor-General’s Literary Award winners on November 13.

Books in both official languages are selected from seven categories, including fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation.

English books selected include The Purchase (fiction, McClelland & Stewart), by Linda Spalding, Monkey Ranch (poetry, Brick Books) by Julie Bruck, It Is Solved By Walking (drama, Playwrights Canada Press), by Catherine Banks, and Leonardo and the Last Supper (non fiction, Bond Street Books), by Ross King. In the children’s literature category, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (Tundra Books) by Susin Nielsen was selected for text and Virginia Wolf (Kids Can Press) with text by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault won for illustration. In the French to English translation category the winner was Nigel Spencer for Mai and the Predators’ Ball (House of anansi Press) by Marie-Claire Blais.

The Governor-General’s Literary Awards dispenses approximately $450,000 to encourage excellence in Canadian books. There will be an awards presentation at Rideau hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, November 28.