Book buyer at Kelowna Mosaic Books named as judge for prestigious Giller Prize

Judging Canada's best books

Photo: Rob Gibson

Mosaic Books on Bernard Avenue in downtown Kelowna.

Sarah Klassen has been the book buyer at Mosaic Books in downtown Kelowna for more than 20 years. Now she can add a new title to her resume: Giller Prize judge.

Klassen is one of seven people from across the country who will make up the 2026 jury for Canada’s most prestigious literary award.

The Giller Prize shook up its jury selection process this year, choose representatives from independent book stores instead of Canadian authors, as it has done for many years.

Klassen joins Dan Macdonald and Lori Cheverie from Bookmark, which has locations in Halifax, Charlottetown and Fredericton. The other judges are Danielle and Rupert McNally from Ben McNally Books in Toronto, Chris Hall from McNally Robinson Booksellers, with locations in Winnipeg and Saskatoon, and Jenn Baerg Steyn from Yellowknife Books.

“So, between the seven of us, we’ll be reading 100 and some newly published Canadian fiction novels, short story collections and graphic novels. We will be reading those over the next six months, and then be selecting the long list, the short list and then, eventually, the winner,” Klassen explained.

She said the judges will be in regular contact as they winnow down the contenders. “Then, as it gets to less books that are in contention, we will all read those books.”

“I’m anxiously waiting to receive my first bundle of books,” said Klassen. “We should have that by the end of this month, and then between February and August, we’ll be reading all those books.”

Giller Executive Director Elana Rabinovitch said the change in the jury selection lends a "people's choice" quality to the $100,000 prize, Canada's richest fiction purse.

A statement announcing the jurors said the Giller is also "in search of new sponsors and donors to continue its mission of championing the very best of Canadian storytelling."

For two decades, Scotiabank was the naming sponsor of the prize, but protests erupted in 2023 over its subsidiary's investment in an Israeli arms manufacturer and the Giller Foundation eventually "parted ways" with the big bank.

-with files from The Canadian Press