2008 in Canadian literature

November 2025 This is a summary of the year 2008 in Canadian literature. Events January 8 - A television series based on Douglas Coupland's novel jPod debuts on CBC Television. February 29 - Paul Quarrington's 1987 novel King Leary wins the 2008 edition of Canada Reads. June 12 - Rawi Hage's 2006 novel De Niro's Game wins the 2008 International Dublin Literary Award. July 1 - Writers Maria Campbell, George Elliott Clarke and Audrey Thomas are inducted into the Order of Canada. November 11 - Joseph Boyden's novel Through Black Spruce wins the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize. November 18 - 2008 Governor General's Awards. Books Fiction David Adams Richards, The Lost Highway André Alexis, AsylumAlexis André https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/b4wpSoYk4jwC?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwihwr6mh9aQAxUlEVkFHe-lBcgQ7_IDegQICxAC Asylum 2008 McClelland & Stewart 978-0-7710-0669-2 en David Bergen, The RetreatBergen David https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/nIBlTqKzUucC?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH-Puvh9aQAxV_EGIAHVBXGpIQre8FegQICxAG The Retreat 2008 McClelland & Stewart 978-0-7710-1253-2 en Joseph Boyden, Through Black Spruce Austin Clarke, MoreClarke Austin https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/-7FQMQAACAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHxcq8h9aQAxWCKlkFHZ8SCJ0Qre8FegQIDxAM More 2008-08-30 Dundurn Press 978-0-88762-353-0 en Anthony De Sa, Barnacle Love Cory Doctorow, Little Brother Emma Donoghue, The Sealed Letter Marina Endicott, Good to a Fault Steven Galloway, The Cellist of Sarajevo Bill Gaston, The Order of Good Cheer Rawi Hage, Cockroach Kenneth J. Harvey, Blackstrap Hawco Maggie Helwig, Girls Fall Down Mark Anthony Jarman, My White Planet Ibi Kaslik, The Angel Riots Patrick Lane, Red Dog, Red Dog Pasha Malla, The Withdrawal Method Andrew Pyper, The Killing Circle Paul Quarrington, The Ravine Nino Ricci, The Origin of Species Robert J. Sawyer, Identity Theft and Other Stories Mary Swan, The Boys in the TreesSwan Mary https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/uTQUmAEACAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHnIWiiNaQAxWdElkFHVvcABgQre8FegQIChAJ The Boys in the Trees 2008-01-22 Henry Holt and Company 978-0-8050-8670-6 en Miriam Toews, The Flying Troutmans Non-fiction Margaret Atwood, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth Stephen Clarkson, My Life as a Dame: The Personal and the Political in the Writings of Christina McCallMcCall Christina https://www.google.com/books/edition/My_Life_as_a_Dame/PpB0dpUpfQUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=My+Life+as+a+Dame:+The+Personal+and+the+Political+in+the+Writings+of+Christina+McCall&printsec=frontcover My Life as a Dame: The Personal and the Political in the Writings of Christina McCall 2008 House of Anansi 978-0-88784-221-4 en Charles Foran, Join the Revolution, Comrade Mark Frutkin, Erratic North: A Vietnam Draft Resister's Life in the Canadian BushFrutkin Mark https://www.google.com/books/edition/Erratic_North/lrgoBbpv-hMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Erratic+North:+A+Vietnam+Draft+Resisters+Life+in+the+Canadian+Bush&printsec=frontcover Erratic North: A Vietnam Draft Resister's Life in the Canadian Bush 2008-08-15 Dundurn 978-1-77070-312-4 en Stephen Henighan, A Report on the Afterlife of CultureHenighan Stephen https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Report_on_the_Afterlife_of_Culture/fjqCCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=A+Report+on+the+Afterlife+of+Culture&pg=PA11&printsec=frontcover A Report on the Afterlife of Culture 2008-04-30 Biblioasis 978-1-897231-65-4 en Val Ross, Robertson Davies: A Portrait in MosaicRoss Val https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/fKULAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwin4_jth9aQAxX7MlkFHbwsOo4Qre8FegQIEhAH Robertson Davies: A Portrait in Mosaic 2008 McClelland & Stewart 978-0-7710-7775-3 en Norman Snider, The Roaring Eighties and Other Good TimesSnider Norman https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Roaring_Eighties_and_Other_Good_Time/MdrX4tYosc8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=The+Roaring+Eighties+and+Other+Good+Times&pg=PA9&printsec=frontcover The Roaring Eighties and Other Good Times 2008 Exile Editions, Ltd. 978-1-55096-093-8 en Drew Hayden Taylor, Me Sexy: An Exploration of Native Sex and SexualityTaylor Drew Hayden https://www.google.com/books/edition/Me_Sexy/YU83nwEACAAJ?hl=en Me Sexy: An Exploration of Native Sex and Sexuality 2008 Douglas & McIntyre 978-1-55365-276-2 en Poetry R. M. Vaughan, TroubledVaughan Richard Murray https://www.google.com/books/edition/Troubled/JMqakun7aOgC?hl=en&gbpv=0 Troubled: A Memoir in Poems and Fragments 2008 Coach House Books 978-1-55245-198-4 en Deaths February 17 - Val Ross, writer and journalist June 11 - James Reaney, novelist July 14 - Lawrence Ytzhak Braithwaite, writer and musician References Literature