Tsering Yanzom Lama, a Nepalese born but Vancouver based author, is one of five finalists for the prestigious 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
The Canadian literature prize is the largest in the country, with the winner taking home $100,000.
Lama's novel We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies centres around a Tibetan family's struggle to create new lives after China's invasion of Tibet in the 1950's. It follows sisters Lhamo and Tenkyi on a multi-decade journey, including a terrifying trek across the Himalayas to a refugee camp on the border of Nepal.
Many bookworms like to take their shot at writing too. But it isn’t easy to create literature like the books featured on the @GillerPrize shortlist. Tsering Yangzom Lama gives tips for all the other writers who dream of seeing their work nominated for the @gillerprize one day. pic.twitter.com/mOb1GhwQed
— Giller Light (@GillerLight) November 5, 2022
Kim Fu, who was born in Vancouver but currently resides iin Seattle, Washington, is another finalist for her short story collection called Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. The excerpts weave tales of new worlds with strange happenings, like toy boxes controlling the passage of time.
The other finalists are:
Montreal's Rawi Hage and his short story collection called Stray Dogs.
Calgary's Suzette Mayer and her novel The Sleeping Car Porter.
Egyptian-Canadian Noor Naga and her novel If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English.
Lama has also lived in Toronto and New York City and holds a BA in creative writing and international relations from the UBC. We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies is her first ever novel.
Fu has published two other fiction works, For Today I Am a Boy and The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore.
The winner will be revealed on Monday, Nov. 7, as poet Rupi Kaur will be co-hosting the event.
Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch founded the prize in honour of his late wife, Doris Giller, in 1994.
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