2018 Wall Scholar Ian Williams wins Scotiabank Giller Prize

November 26, 2019

We are thrilled to announce that 2018 Wall Scholar Ian Williams (Creative Writing, UBC) has won the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his debut novel Reproduction. The $100,000 prize is the richest in Canadian literature. 

Described as a hilarious, surprising and poignant love story about the way families are invented, Reproduction is not only Ian Williams’ first novel, it is a literary feat that constantly “reproduces” itself as the plot moves forward.

The book centres around Felicia and her teenage son, Army. After they move into a basement apartment, they bond with the house’s owner and his two children. But strange gifts from Army’s wealthy, absent father begin to arrive at their doorstep, inviting new tensions into the makeshift family’s lives. Reproduction is a profoundly insightful exploration of the bizarre ways people become bonded that insists that family isn’t a matter of blood. Throughout the book, Williams explores themes of race, class, and identity.

Williams launched Reproduction on January 24, 2019, at the Vancouver Film School. You can read a Q&A conducted during the launch here.

And watch a video about Reproduction and how creative writing can push boundaries.