What Is 1988 Governor General's Awards

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Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1988 Governor General's Awards were Canada's annual national honors for literary excellence, recognizing outstanding works in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and other categories published that year. Winners included notable authors such as Margaret Atwood and Robert Kroetsch.

Key Facts

Margaret Atwood won the 1988 Governor General's Award for Fiction for her novel *Cat's Eye*.
Robert Kroetsch received the award for Poetry for his collection *The Sweetness of Water*.
Awards were presented in 14 categories, including English and French language divisions.
The awards ceremony took place in late 1988, typically held at Rideau Hall or similar official venues.
Each winner received a medal and a cash prize, though the exact amount varied by category.

Overview

The 1988 Governor General's Awards marked a significant year in Canadian literary history, celebrating excellence in writing across multiple genres and languages. Administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, these awards honored works published during the preceding year, reflecting the nation's cultural and intellectual diversity.

The awards have been presented annually since 1937, with the 1988 edition continuing the tradition of recognizing both emerging and established Canadian authors. These honors are among the most prestigious in Canadian literature, often influencing future acclaim and international recognition.

Category Diversity: The 1988 awards spanned 14 distinct categories, including Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Translation, with separate awards for English and French language works.
Fiction Winner:Margaret Atwood won the English-language Fiction award for her novel Cat's Eye, a psychological exploration of memory, identity, and female experience in mid-20th century Canada.
Poetry Recognition:Robert Kroetsch received the English Poetry award for The Sweetness of Water, a collection praised for its lyrical experimentation and postmodern themes.
French-Language Excellence:Marie-Claire Blais won the French Fiction award for Naissance de Rebecca, a novel examining trauma and resilience through a nonlinear narrative structure.
Jury Process: Each category was judged by an independent panel of three literary experts, ensuring a rigorous and impartial selection process based on artistic merit and originality.

How It Works

The Governor General's Awards operate through a structured nomination and adjudication system managed by the Canada Council for the Arts, with eligibility based on publication year and author nationality.

Eligibility:Only books published in 1987 by Canadian citizens or permanent residents were eligible, ensuring the awards reflected recent literary output.
Nomination: Publishers submitted entries, with each allowed up to three titles per category, creating a competitive field of over 200 submissions.
Jury Selection: Independent juries of three experts were appointed for each language and genre, with members serving one-year terms to maintain impartiality.
Adjudication Criteria: Judges evaluated works based on originality, literary quality, and cultural significance, with no fixed word count or format requirements.
Winners' Prize: Each winner received a medal from the Governor General and a cash award, typically ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the category.
Award Ceremony: The official presentation occurred in late 1988, often hosted at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, with the Governor General personally conferring the honors.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of key award categories and winners from the 1988 Governor General's Awards, highlighting the linguistic and thematic diversity of the honorees.

Category	Language	Winner	Work	Prize Amount
Fiction	English	Margaret Atwood	Cat's Eye	$10,000
Fiction	French	Marie-Claire Blais	Naissance de Rebecca	$10,000
Poetry	English	Robert Kroetsch	The Sweetness of Water	$7,500
Poetry	French	France Théoret	Explorations	$7,500
Non-Fiction	English	Donald Creighton	Donald Creighton: A Life in History	$10,000

The 1988 awards underscored Canada's bilingual literary landscape, with equal recognition given to English and French authors. Many of the winning works, such as Atwood's Cat's Eye, went on to achieve international acclaim, cementing their place in Canadian literary canon.

Why It Matters

The 1988 Governor General's Awards played a crucial role in shaping Canada's literary identity, offering visibility and validation to writers whose works captured the nation's evolving social and cultural narratives. These awards not only honored individual achievement but also encouraged broader public engagement with Canadian literature.

Cultural Impact: Winning the award often led to increased book sales and international publishing deals, amplifying the reach of Canadian voices.
Author Recognition: For writers like Margaret Atwood, the award reinforced their status as leading figures in global literature, influencing academic study and adaptation into film or theater.
Encouragement of Bilingualism: The separate French and English categories promoted linguistic equity and supported the development of distinct literary traditions in both communities.
Educational Influence: Winning books frequently entered university curricula and reading lists, shaping how Canadian literature is taught and studied.
Historical Documentation: The 1988 awards captured a moment in time when postmodernism and feminist themes were gaining prominence in Canadian writing.
Institutional Legacy: The Governor General's Awards continue to serve as a benchmark for literary excellence, with the 1988 cohort remembered for its depth and diversity.

Ultimately, the 1988 awards exemplified the power of literature to reflect national identity while fostering artistic innovation across linguistic and cultural boundaries.