Rideau Hall, Thursday, November 28, 2013

My wife, Sharon, and I are delighted to welcome you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada, for this great literary occasion.

It is a privilege to be in the presence of so many talented writers, artists and translators, particularly in light of the year that was in Canadian literature.

We celebrated some wonderful milestones in Canadian letters in 2013, and of these I want to single out Alice Munro’s well-deserved recognition by the Nobel Prize committee.

A three-time winner and five-time finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, Alice Munro’s achievement’s are proof—if anyone out there still needed proof—that the best Canadian writers are very good indeed!

It is interesting to consider how literature lends weight to a nation’s presence in the world. There is a certain legitimacy that is only attained through the power of storytelling, be it written or oral.

Great books help to make a place and its people real in our minds, perhaps because—as Northrop Frye observed—each of us participates in society mainly through our imaginations.

Our best writers have been helping us imagine ourselves and one another for generations now, which brings me to another of this year’s literary milestones—one which may have escaped your attention.

It was 250 years ago—in 1763—that an English writer named Frances Brooke sailed from London to Québec City, where she penned The History of Emily Montague, the first novel written in Canada.

This book, which is something of a sentimental love story, showed readers in Britain, where it was published following Frances Brooke’s return, that this was a place where real lives were lived and interesting stories were written.

So there you have it: a literature beginning 250 years ago and continuing through to the present day: bookends, if you will, to a great and growing literary tradition!

All of which brings me to this evening and to you, the recipients of this year’s Governor General’s Literary Awards.

Your works are indicative of the great breadth and depth of Canadian literature being written today in French and in English. You are novelists, poets, playwrights and translators. You write and illustrate children’s books, and you work in all manner of non-fiction genres.

One of the wonderful things about these awards is that your books were chosen from among hundreds of contenders by a jury of your peers—other talented writers, translators and illustrators. They know the effort it takes to craft a great book, and they recognize excellence when they see it.

Excellence can be found on each and every page of the 14 books we celebrate this evening.

With this achievement, your books are now part of an important library dating back to 1936, when my predecessor John Buchan—himself the author of more than 100 books—established these awards.

Without a doubt, this GG-winning collection of more than 600 works is a national treasure, and I invite all who are gathered here this evening to view this remarkable library in the Monck Wing following the ceremony.

Let me close by thanking those who have worked so hard to make this occasion possible.

I would like to say a special thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts, for its constant support of writers and artists in this country, including through the administration of these awards; to the members of the jury, for their dedication and careful reading; to the publishers who make these great works available to us; and, not least, to the reader, who understands the value of Canadian literature and its sheer, page-turning brilliance.

And of course, I thank and congratulate the creators of these great books, for giving Canadians and readers worldwide a unique and precious gift of literature for all time.