The winners of the 1998 Governor General's Literary Awards were announced by Jean-Louis Roux, chairman, and Shirley L. Thomson, Director of the Canada Council for the Arts on November 17 in Ottawa. Each winner received a cheque for $10,000.

English

CategoryWinnerNominated
FictionDiane Schoemperlen, Forms of DevotionLynn Coady, Strange Heaven Barbara Gowdy, The White Bone Wayne Johnston, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams Kerri Sakamoto, The Electrical Field
Non-fictionDavid Adams Richards, Lines on the Water: A Fisherman's Life on the MiramichiWayne Grady, The Quiet Limit of the World: A Journey to the North Pole to Investigate Global Warming Charlotte Gray, Mrs. King: The Life and Times of Isabel Mackenzie King Judy Schultz, Mamie's Children: Three Generations of Prairie Women Rudy Wiebe and Yvonne Johnson, Stolen Life: The Journey of a Cree Woman
PoetryStephanie Bolster, White Stone: The Alice PoemsLouise Bernice Halfe, Blue Marrow Michael Ondaatje, Handwriting Lisa Robertson, Debbie: An Epic Kathy Shaidle, Lobotomy Magnificat
DramaDjanet Sears, Harlem DuetBruce McManus, Selkirk Avenue Richard Sanger, Not Spain Sandra Shamas, Sandra Shamas: A Trilogy of Performances David Young, Inexpressible Island
Children's literatureJanet Lunn, The Hollow TreeGayle Friesen, Janey's Girl Julie Johnston, The Only Outcast Janet McNaughton, Make or Break Spring Sarah Withrow, Bat Summer
Children's illustrationKady MacDonald Denton, A Child's Treasury of Nursery RhymesVictor Bosson, The Fox's Kettle Harvey Chan, Music for the Tsar of the Sea Zhong-Yang Huang, The Great Race Stéphane Jorisch, The Village of a Hundred Smiles and Other Stories
French to English translationSheila Fischman, Bambi and MeArnold Bennett, Voltaire's Man in America David Homel, The Second Fiddle Daniel Sloate, Aknos and Other Poems

French

CategoryWinnerNominated
FictionChristiane Frenette, La Terre fermeMarie-Célie Agnant, Le Silence comme le sang Madeleine Gagnon, Le Deuil du soleil Nancy Huston, L'Empreinte de l'ange Pierre Samson, Un garçon de compagnie
Non-fictionPierre Nepveu, Intérieurs du Nouveau Monde : Essais sur les littératures du Québec et des AmériquesChantal Bouchard, La Langue et le Nombril : Histoire d'une obsession québécoise Marcel Olscamp, Le Fils du notaire Jacques Ferron 1921-1949 : Genèse intellectuelle d'un écrivain Régine Robin, Le Golem de l'écriture : De l'autofiction au Cybersoi Patricia Smart, Les Femmes du Refus global
PoetrySuzanne Jacob, La Part de feu preceded by Le Deuil de la rancuneHugues Corriveau, Le Livre du frère Hélène Dorion, Les Murs de la grotte Christine Richard, L'Eau des oiseaux Michel van Schendel, Bitumes
DramaFrançois Archambault, 15 secondesSerge Boucher, Motel Hélène Olivier Choinière, Le Bain des raines Carole Fréchette, La Peau d'Élisa Suzanne Lebeau, L'Ogrelet
Children's literatureAngèle Delaunois, Variations sur un même «t'aime»Guy Dessureault, Lettre de Chine Daniel Mativat, Terreur sur la Windigo Danielle Rochette, La Fugue d'Antoine Hélène Vachon, Le Cinéma de Somerset
Children's illustrationPierre Pratt, Monsieur IlétaitunefoisStéphane Poulin, Petit zizi Alain Reno, Un tartare pour le bonhomme Sept Heures Yayo, Le Chasseur d'arc-en-ciel
English to French translationCharlotte Melançon, Les Sources du moi : La Formation de l'identité modernePaule Noyart, Leonard Cohen : Le Canadien errant Hélène Rioux, Self