What Is 1970 Governor General's Awards

Overview

The 1970 Governor General's Awards celebrated the best in Canadian literature, marking a significant year for national arts recognition. These awards, established in 1936, are among Canada's oldest and most prestigious literary honors, spotlighting authors across multiple genres.

Administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, the 1970 awards highlighted works published during the preceding year. The winners were announced in December 1970, continuing the tradition of honoring Canadian creativity and intellectual contribution.

• Fourteen categories were awarded in 1970, including Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Drama, and Translation, reflecting the diversity of Canadian literary output.
• Margaret Atwood won the Fiction award for her poetic prose work The Journals of Susanna Moodie, a genre-blurring exploration of Canadian identity.
• Irving Layton received the Poetry award for A Red Carpet for the Sun, a collection that exemplified his bold, lyrical style and social commentary.
• The awards were open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with works required to be published in either English or French between January 1969 and December 1970.
• Each winner received a medal and a cash prize, though the exact amount varied by category and was not publicly standardized until later decades.

How It Works

The Governor General's Awards process involves nominations, jury evaluation, and public announcement, with strict eligibility criteria to ensure national representation. Each year, publishers and authors submit works for consideration, and independent juries select the winners.

• Term: The awards are given annually for literary works published in the preceding calendar year. This means the 1970 awards honored books released from 1969 to mid-1970.
• Juries are composed of three experts per category, including authors, critics, and academics, appointed by the Canada Council to ensure impartiality and expertise.
• Submissions must be made by Canadian publishers, and self-published works were not eligible in 1970, a policy that remained until reforms in the 2000s.
• Winners are announced in the fall of each year, with a formal presentation often held at Rideau Hall, though the 1970 ceremony was likely low-key due to budget constraints.
• Categories are divided by genre and language, with separate awards for English and French works in most categories to reflect Canada’s bilingual character.
• The Canada Council for the Arts oversees the entire process, from jury selection to prize distribution, ensuring continuity and national oversight since 1957.

Comparison at a Glance

The following table compares the 1970 Governor General's Awards with those from 1965 and 1975 to highlight changes in categories and recognition trends.

The expansion from 12 to 14 categories between 1965 and 1970 reflects a growing emphasis on linguistic duality and genre specificity. The 1970 awards also marked a turning point in recognizing works from Quebec in both French and English translation, helping to unify Canadian literary culture.

Why It Matters

The 1970 Governor General's Awards were pivotal in shaping Canada's literary identity, elevating voices that would become central to national culture. Recognition at this level often led to increased readership, academic study, and international publishing opportunities.

• Margaret Atwood's win helped establish her as a leading figure in Canadian literature, preceding her global fame in the 1980s and 1990s.
• The recognition of Québécois works in French validated the importance of Canada's linguistic diversity in national arts policy.
• Winning an award often led to doubling or tripling of book sales, providing crucial financial support to emerging authors.
• The awards encouraged translation between English and French, promoting cross-cultural understanding across the country.
• They also influenced university curricula, with winning works frequently adopted in Canadian literature courses nationwide.
• By highlighting Canadian themes and voices, the awards played a role in fostering national pride during a decade of cultural awakening.

The 1970 Governor General's Awards not only celebrated individual achievement but also advanced the visibility of Canadian literature on the world stage, setting a precedent for future generations of writers.