TORONTO - Acclaimed writers Thomas King, Michael Crummey and Bill Gaston are among the finalists for this year's Governor General's Literary Awards for fiction.

King of Guelph, Ont., who won major non-fiction prizes earlier this year for "The Inconvenient Indian," is on the short list for "The Back of the Turtle" (HarperCollins Canada) -- his first literary novel in 15 years.

Crummey, a 2001 Giller finalist from St. John's, is on the short list for his novel "Sweetland" (Doubleday Canada).

And Victoria-based Gaston, who was shortlisted for the Giller in 2002, is a finalist for "Juliet Was a Surprise" (Hamish Hamilton).

The other fiction finalists are Claire Holden Rothman of Westmount, Que., for "My October" (Penguin Canada) and Winnipeg's Joan Thomas for "The Opening Sky" (McClelland & Stewart).

The Canada Council for the Arts administers the Governor General's Literary Awards, which honour writers in both official languages and in seven categories.

A list of finalists for this year's Governor General's Literary Awards, in top categories:

Fiction:

  • Michael Crummey of St. John's for "Sweetland" (Doubleday Canada)
  • Bill Gaston of Victoria for "Juliet Was a Surprise" (Hamish Hamilton)
  • Claire Holden Rothman of Westmount, Que., for "My October" (Penguin Canada)
  • Thomas King of Guelph, Ont., for "The Back of the Turtle" (HarperCollins)
  • Joan Thomas of Winnipeg for "The Opening Sky" (McClelland & Stewart)

Non-fiction:

  • Michael Harris of Toronto for "The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We've Lost in a World of Constant Connection" (HarperCollins)
  • Arno Kopecky of Squamish, B.C., for "The Oil Man and the Sea: Navigating the Northern Gateway" (Douglas & McIntyre)
  • Edmund Metatawabin with Alexandra Shimo of Fort Albany, Ont. /Toronto for "Up Ghost River: A Chief's Journey through the Turbulent Waters of Native History" (Alfred A. Knopf Canada, a division of Random House of Canada)
  • Maria Mutch of North Kingstown, Rhode Island for "Know the Night: A Memoir of Survival in the Small Hours" (Alfred A. Knopf Canada, a division of Random House of Canada)

Poetry:

  • Sadiqa de Meijer of Kingston, Ont., for "Leaving Howe Island" (Oolichan Books)
  • Julie Joosten of Toronto for "Light Light" (BookThug)
  • Christopher Levenson of Vancouver for "Night Vision" (Quattro Books)
  • Garth Martens of Victoria for "Prologue for the Age of Consequence" (House of Anansi Press)
  • Arleen Pare of Victoria for "Lake of Two Mountains" (Brick Books)

Drama:

  • Rick Chafe of Winnipeg for "The Secret Mask" (Playwrights Canada Press)
  • Sean Dixon of Toronto for "A God in Need of Help" (Coach House Books)
  • Janet Munsil of Victoria for "That Elusive Spark" (Playwrights Canada Press)
  • Jordan Tannahill of Toronto for "Age of Minority: Three Solo Plays" (Playwrights Canada Press)