City of Toronto Announces 2025 Toronto Book Awards Shortlist
TORONTO — The City of Toronto and Toronto Public Library have unveiled the six titles shortlisted for the 2025 Toronto Book Awards, a prestigious literary prize that celebrates works showcasing the city’s cultural depth and diverse voices.
This year marks a major milestone for the program, as prize amounts have doubled. The winning author will receive $20,000, while each finalist will receive $2,000. The winner will be announced at a public ceremony on Wednesday, October 15 at the Toronto Reference Library.
2025 Toronto Book Awards Shortlist
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All the Parts We Exile by Roza Nozari (Knopf Canada)
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Encampment by Maggie Helwig (Coach House Books)
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Other Worlds by André Alexis (McClelland & Stewart)
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The Knowing by Tanya Talaga (Harper Collins Canada)
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The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse by Vinh Nguyen (Harper Collins Canada)
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Unlike The Rest by Chika Stacey Oriuwa (Harper Collins Canada)
A full reading list is available on the Toronto Public Library’s Toronto Book Awards webpage.
City of Toronto announces 2025 Toronto Book Awards shortlist
Read the full news release here: https://t.co/PaCeM0uMPB pic.twitter.com/T00E4DRGmH
— City of Toronto 🇨🇦 (@cityoftoronto) September 4, 2025
Upcoming Toronto Book Awards Events
Author Readings at Arts & Letters Club
📅 Monday, September 15
🕕 6 p.m.
📍 14 Elm St.
Word on the Street Festival
📅 Saturday, September 27
🕚 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
📍 David Pecaut Square, 215 King St. W.
Toronto Book Awards Ceremony
📅 Wednesday, October 15
🕖 7 p.m.
📍 Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St.
A Celebration of Toronto Through Literature
The Toronto Book Awards, established in 1974, honour works of fiction, poetry and non-fiction that evoke Toronto in compelling and memorable ways. The program continues to highlight the city’s creative identity while offering meaningful recognition to Canadian authors.
Readers are encouraged to attend the public events leading up to the awards ceremony, which provide opportunities to engage with the shortlisted authors and explore the themes of their works.
For more details, visit the Toronto Book Awards webpage.
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