Since 1965, the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal has promoted excellence in literary creation. It also highlights Montréal’s thriving publishing scene, while raising public awareness of Québec literature by recognizing a newly published work of exceptional quality and originality.

 

The award honors authors and outstanding works published in Québec, and actively promotes their distribution.

 

The Grand Prix du livre de Montréal is awarded annually in November, a few days before the Salon du livre de Montréal opens. The winner of this prestigious distinction is selected by a five-person jury.

The city offers a cash prize of $15,000 to the author or co-authors of a work published in French or English for its exceptional quality and originality. The remaining four finalists receive a cash prize of $1,000.

All the books named as finalists are acquired and made available in the city’s 45 libraries, with at least one copy of each title held in every library. As well, all the titles in the jury’s selection are included in the collections held in Montréal libraries. When available, audio, digital and digital audio versions of the works are acquired.

The Grand Prix du livre de Montréal produces promotional materials related to the award-winning works, which it provides to publishers, bookstores and libraries. 

Events promoting the books and the finalists may be staged before the presentation of the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal. By agreeing to their title being included in the jury’s selection, the authors and publishers undertake to make every effort to attend and prepare for the presentation ceremony and the promotional activities.

Any publication can be submitted: an original work, a scholarly work, a compilation or a reference work of a literary, artistic, social or historical nature. Books must meet the following criteria:

• Published for the first time and available on the market between June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024
• Published in French or English.
• Written by a Montréal-based author or published by a Montréal-based publisher.
• Have an international standard book number (ISBN).
• Submitted by the deadline.

Poetry collections and essays containing excerpts already published in magazines are eligible.

The following types of works are excluded:

• Works for young readers
• Anthologies
• Co-creations by more than three people
• Posthumous publications
• Ghostwritten books
• Works by an author who sits on the jury or secretariat for the award, or by an immediate family member
• Translations
• Reprints or reissues
• Self-publishing and vanity publishing
• Publications in formats other than print

The jury members represent various publishing sectors and Montréal’s contemporary intellectual and literary currents. The jury is chaired by a cultural figure appointed to a three-year term by Montréal’s Service de la Culture. The jury chair does not have a vote.

In addition to the chairperson, the city selects the jury members. One-third of the jury is renewed annually. Members may not sit on the jury for more than three consecutive years or more than five times in any 10-year period. Gender equity and diversity goals are determined and prioritized when the jury is renewed.

Jury members pledge not to sit on the board of directors, executive committee, review board or editorial committee of any publisher. In addition, they may not be Montréal public servants.

All books eligible for the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal are submitted to the jury and distributed equally among the jury members, in reading pairs chosen at random. Consequently, all books are read by at least two members, who come up with a pre-selection.

All works pre-selected by the jury move on to the second round and must be read by all jury members. These works are then discussed and debated, and the jury agrees on a selection of 10 of the most noteworthy titles. In case of a disagreement, an individual secret ballot may be cast.

The jury then debates further and proceeds to a secret individual ballot to determine the finalists and winner. The book with the highest score is declared the winner, and the books with the four subsequent highest scores are named finalists. The jury’s decision is final and cannot be appealed.

Publishers wishing to submit an eligible book must, by the submission deadlines:

1. register the book via the online submission form (the copy of the answers sent at the end is an acknowledgement of receipt)
2. without delay, send 1 digital copy (PDF or ePub) by email to: [email protected]
3. without delay, send 7 printed copies to the following address (all the information below, including the phone number, must appear on the package):

 

Grand Prix du livre de Montréal

Émilie Labrosse

Direction des Bibliothèques, Service de la culture

Ville de Montréal

801 Brennan Street, 5th floor, Prince Pavilion

Montréal, Québec H3C 0G4

514 872-9075

 

Incomplete or late submissions with late delivery of any required item, and books submitted outside of the allowable time periods will not be considered.

 

No further acknowledgement of receipt will be sent. It is the publisher’s responsibility to ensure that packages are delivered to the provided address. We cannot guarantee that packages left at the post office or at any address other than the one indicated above will be received on time, so we suggest that you choose another delivery method.

 

All books submitted remain the property of the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal and will not be returned.

All required materials must be received no later than:

• February 16, 2024, for books published between June 1, 2023 and November 30, 2023;
• May 31, 2024, for books published between December 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024.

November 2024

Submission Form - 2024 Grand Prix du livre de Montréal

List of works submitted for the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal 2023 (in French)

Learn more about the last edition.

• 2023 Grand Prix du Livre de Montréal award

• Andréane Frenette-Vallières - Tu choisiras les montagnes (2023)
• Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch - The Good Arabs (2022)
• Nicholas Dawson - Désormais, ma demeure (2021)
• Martine Delvaux - Le boys club (2020)
• Carole David - Comment nous sommes nés (2019)
• Marie-Claire Blais - Une réunion près de la mer (2018)
• René Lapierre - Les adieux (2017)
• Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette - La femme qui fuit (2016)
• Dominique Robert - La cérémonie du Maître (2015)
• Michael Delisle - Le feu de mon père (2014)
• Pierre Samson - La maison des pluies (2013)
• Marie-Claire Blais - Le jeune homme sans avenir (2012)
• Élise Turcotte - Guyana (2011)
• Perrine Leblanc - L’Homme blanc (2010)
• Dany Laferrière - L’énigme de retour (2009)