Giller Prize founder a great Canadian
The recent passing of Jack Rabinovitch should give pause to all those who support and love Canadian literature.
Rabinovitch started the annual Giller Prize to reward, recognize and promote excellence in Canadian writing in memory of his second wife, an editor, writer and lover of literature and the written word.
Today, it is known as the Scotiabank Giller Award, awarded to the best of the best of Canada’s authors. This gives me pause here in Windsor.
Windsor boasts at least 1,000 published authors, most self-published but a lot still earning some income from their literary pursuits as well as a few nationally recognized names and some international bestsellers.
We have in Windsor a thriving literary community. Despite our reputation as a blue-collar manufacturing hub, Windsor is punching above its weight in contributing to the field of arts and literature.
We boast a dozen local publishers.
An example is Biblioasis, a local publisher that has published authors who have been long and shortlisted not only for the Giller but other national awards. As a small publisher, it has attracted national attention as an incubator of Canadian literary talent. My prayer is that the other local publishers thrive just as much.
Rabinovitch, in his wisdom and desire to honour his wife, started and contributed to the development and promotion of Canadian literature that is recognized internationally. More than that, he encouraged and promoted as well as excited Canadian interest in the written word.
As a result of his generosity, we have a thriving literary community and Canadian authors are read in many languages around the world.
For that alone I consider him to be a great Canadian. He put Canadian literature in the spotlight and made it noticed and recognized the world over.
I will always remember him as a selfless supporter of Canadiana.
He was a visionary and builder of our unique cultural fabric that is growing and developing into one of the best in the world. I salute this great man. Sohan S. Koonar, Windsor