Ellen Seligman ( Ian Crysler)
Few literary editors can claim as profound an influence on Canadian fiction than Ellen Seligman, a legend in her craft and editor of Canadian authors including Margaret Atwood, Leonard Cohen and Michael Ondaatje. Seligman edited 23 books that won Governor General’s literary awards, and also published books by Nobel prize-winning writer Alice Munro. She died last month.
Kristin Cochrane, president and publisher of Penguin Random House, called it “next to impossible to express the grief I know we all feel with the loss of this incomparable woman.” Elizabeth Hay, another Canadian great who proudly worked alongside Seligman, recalled an attention to detail that was “heroic.” Giller-nominated Jane Urquhart called Seligman “an author’s most essential advocate and guide.”
The immediate reaction to Seligman’s death, which came from all corners of Canada’s literary world, constantly referenced the long reach of Seligman’s red pen, her devotion to the authors with whom she worked—and the influence readers might never know she had on the books they read.
We reached out Penguin Random House in search of a list of just some of the award-winning titles that found their audience thanks, in part, to Seligman’s steady hand. The publishing house sent us an impressive list of Scotiabank Giller Prizes, Man Booker Prizes, International IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards, Griffin Poetry Prizes, Governor General’s Literary Awards, Amazon.ca First Novel Award Winners, and even a Nobel Prize on which Seligman left her mark. Click the links above or scroll below for the whole collection. Titles marked with two asterisks won awards, while one asterisk identifies finalists. The remaining titles were long-listed.
Scotiabank Giller Prize
-
1994
The Book of Secrets
M.G. Vassanji**Funny Boy
Shyam Selvadurai* -
1995
A Fine Balance
Rohinton Mistry** -
1996
Alias Grace
Margaret Atwood**Fugitive Pieces
Anne Michaels*The Englishman’s Boy
Guy Vanderhaeghe* -
1997
Where She Has Gone
Nino Ricci* -
1998
Childhood
André Alexis* -
2000
Anil’s Ghost
Michael Ondaatje**Burridge Unbound
Alan Cumyn*A Student of Weather
Elizabeth Hay* -
2001
The Russlander
Sandra Birdsell*The Stone Carvers
Jane Urquhart* -
2003
Oryx and Crake
Margaret Atwood*The Island Walkers
John Bemrose* -
2005
The Time in Between
David Bergen** -
2007
Late Nights on Air
Elizabeth Hay**Divisadero
Michael Ondaatje* -
2008
The Retreat
David BergenRed Dog, Red Dog
Patrick Lane -
2009
The Winter Vault
Anne Michaels*The Year of the Flood
Margaret Atwood -
2010
Cities of Refuge
Michael HelmSanctuary Line
Jane Urquhart -
2011
Cat’s Table
Michael Ondaatje*A Good Man
Guy Vanderhaeghe -
2015
A Beauty
Connie Gault
Man Booker Prize
-
1986
The Handmaid’s Tale
Margaret Atwood* -
1989
Cat’s Eye
Margaret Atwood* -
1991
Such a Long Journey
Rohinton Mistry* -
1992
The English Patient
Michael Ondaatje** -
1996
Alias Grace
Margaret Atwood*A Fine Balance
Rohinton Mistry* -
1999
The Blackwater Lightship
Colm Tóibín* -
2000
The Blind Assassin
Margaret Atwood** -
2001
The Stone Carvers
Jane Urquhart -
2002
Family Matters
Rohinton Mistry* -
2003
Oryx and Crake
Margaret Atwood*The Good Doctor
Damon Galgut*Astonishing Splashes of Colour
Clare Morrall* -
2004
The Island Walkers
John BemroseThe Master
Colm Tóibín -
2009
The Little Stranger
Sarah Waters* -
2010
In a Strange Room
Damon Galgut* -
2013
The Luminaries
Eleanor Catton**The Testament of Mary
Colm Tóibín* -
2015
The Illuminations
Andrew O’HaganThe Green Road
Anne Enright
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
-
1996
Away
Jane Urquhart -
1997
A Fine Balance
Rohinton Mistry* -
1998
Alias Grace
Margaret Atwood*The Englishman’s Boy
Guy Vanderhaeghe* -
2001
The Blackwater Lightship
Colm Tóibín* -
2002
The Blind Assassin
Margarat Atwood* -
2004
Family Matters
Rohinton Mistry* -
2005
The Good Doctor
Damon Galgut* -
2006
The Master
Colm Tóibín** -
2011
Brooklyn
Colm Tóibín*
The Nobel Prize in Literature
-
2013
Alice Munro**
Griffin Poetry Prize
Seligman was the acquiring editor for the poetry titles listed below.
-
2001
Another Gravity
Don McKay* -
2003
thirsty
Dionne Brand* -
2004
Loop
Anne Simpson** -
2005
Short Journey Upriver Toward Ōishida
Roo Borson**Camber
Don McKay* -
2007
Strike/Slip
Don McKay** -
2011
Ossuaries
Dionne Brand**Lookout
John Steffler* -
2014
Red Doc>
Anne Carson**Correspondences
Anne Michaels*
Governor General’s Literary Awards
Seligman was the in-house or acquiring editor for the winners in the poetry category.
-
1979
There’s a Trick with a Knife I’m Learning to Do
Michael Ondaatje (poetry) -
1981
The Collected Poems of F.R. Scott
F.R. Scott (poetry) -
1983
Settlements
David Donnell (poetry) -
1984
Celestial Navigation
Paulette Jiles (poetry) -
1985
The Handmaid’s Tale
Margaret Atwood (fiction) -
1986
The Collected Poems of Al Purdy
Al Purdy (poetry) -
1987
Afterworlds
Gwendolyn MacEwen (poetry) -
1988
Nights Below Station Street
David Adams Richards (fiction) -
1991
Such a Long Journey
Rohinton Mistry (fiction)Night Field
Don McKay (poetry) -
1992
The English Patient
Michael Ondaatje (fiction)Inventing the Hawk
Lorna Crozier (poetry) -
1996
The Englishman’s Boy
Guy Vanderhaeghe (fiction) -
1997
The Underpainter
Jane Urquhart (fiction)Land to Light On
Dionne Brand (poetry) -
2000
Anil’s Ghost
Michael Ondaatje (fiction)Another Gravity
Don McKay (poetry) -
2003
Kill-site
Tim Lilburn (poetry) -
2004
Short Journey Upriver Toward Ōishida
Roo Borson (poetry) -
2007
Divisadero
Michael Ondaatje (fiction) -
2012
The Purchase
Linda Spalding (fiction) -
2013
The Luminaries
Eleanor Catton (fiction) -
2015
Daddy Lenin and Other Stories by Guy Vanderhaeghe (fiction)
Amazon.ca First Novel Award Winners (formerly Books in Canada First Novel Award)
-
1991
Such a Long Journey
Rohinton Mistry -
1992
The Afterlife of George Cartwright
John Steffler -
1994
Funny Boy
Shyam Selvadurai -
1996
Fugitive Pieces
Anne Michaels -
1997
Opium Dreams
Margaret Gibson -
1998
Childhood
André Alexis -
2006
Certainty
Madeleine Thien -
2010
The Rehearsal
Eleanor Catton (as publisher)
Acclaimed Non-fiction
I’ll Tell You a Secret
Anne Coleman
Finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Non-fiction
From Harvey River
Lorna Goodison
Winner of the B.C. National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
Finalist for the Charles Taylor Prize
Wave
Sonali Deraniyagala
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
