Two jurors withdrew from Giller Prize in the weeks before news of Scotiabank split
Canadian authors Jordan Abel and Aaron Tucker say they dropped out for ethical reasons days after being named to the five-member jury for the $100,000 fiction prize.
Executive director Elana Rabinovitch did not say whether the resignations or ongoing protests had anything to do with an early end to the Giller's decades-long partnership with Scotiabank, only saying of the departures by email: "I wish them well."
The Giller Foundation has faced sustained pressure since November 2023 to cut three of its sponsors over their relationships with Israel, most notably a Scotiabank subsidiary's investment in Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
Abel and Tucker were quietly removed from a list of jurors on the Giller website sometime between their announcement Jan. 15 and news of the split with Scotiabank on Monday.
In an emailed statement, Tucker said he was never fully on board with the Giller's funding, but initially thought it was something he could "tolerate" for the sake of uplifting writers.
"As I read more and learned more and listened more, I found myself unable to continue as a jury member. I should have taken the time to do this before I said yes, and not rushed naively into my choice," said Tucker, an author of seven books including the novel "Y: Oppenheimer, Horseman of Los Alamos."
Both Tucker and Abel — a Nisga'a writer who most recently won the Governor General's Literary Award for his novel "Empty Spaces" — say they have no plans to return to the Giller jury, despite the end of the partnership with Scotiabank.
The remaining jurors are Dionne Irving, Loghan Paylor and Deepa Rajagopalan, who are all recent Giller finalists.
Many authors and other workers in the books sector have joined a boycott of the Giller, saying they won't submit their works or engage with the prize until the award also severs ties with sponsors Indigo Books and the Azrieli Foundation.
Protesters object to the Giller's partnerships with Indigo for its CEO's charity that supports Israeli Defense Force officers from abroad, as well as the Azrieli Foundation, in part for its connection to Israeli real estate company Azrieli Group, which has a stake in Bank Leumi. The United Nations Human Rights Office has included Bank Leumi on a list of businesses involved in activities relating to settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The initial protests at the 2023 ceremony came just a month after Israel declared war on Hamas over an attack in which the militant group kidnapped scores of Israelis. Israel says 1,200 people were killed in Hamas' initial attack.
Gaza's health ministry says more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent bombardment, many of them women and children.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2025.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Country star runs into crowd mid-show to defend his dad from security
Team Nickelback is facing some heat — but not for the reason you'd expect. The Canadian rock act has become a figure that the masses love to hate, but this time Nickelback's sound guy — not the band themselves — is the one catching flak. Country singer Gavin Adcock took to social media this week to call out the engineer, who allegedly stirred up trouble with his family at the Rock the Country festival in South Carolina. The incident allegedly caused the artist to run into the crowd mid-performance to intervene. According to Adcock's two Instagram posts, the brouhaha began when the mother of his acoustic guitar player left an empty drink on a soundboard. Nickelback was also on site to perform at the festival, and when their sound engineer saw the drink, he tossed it off the equipment, and began 'cussing out' the mother, per Adcock's account. Adcock's family was also present at the show, and when his father saw the exchange, he stepped in. 'My Dad hears it, probably about five, 10 yards away, steps over, gets in the dude's face,' Adcock said. 'Basically tells him 'you better back up dude, because people from the South don't act that way, we don't know where you're from, but you need to get out of here.'' Adcock witnessed the incident unfold from the stage, he said, noting that the engineer then got 'on his phone like a little snake.' He added: 'I'm up there singing 'Cigarette' — he gets security to come down there, and I see him, and they're about to grab my Dad, and I just run down the alley and tell 'em, 'nah, you ain't kicking me out, he's the one causing problems." From there, Adcock said security removed the sound engineer. 'My family had been standing there for 17 songs,' Adcock said in a separate video. 'I watched them the whole show, not causing any problems. You come up in my family's face, trying to get my Dad kicked you know what? I got you kicked out.' In addition to Adcock and Nickelback, performers at the South Carolina festival included Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Hank Williams Jr., among others. Adcock is currently gearing up for the release of his new album 'Own Worst Enemy,' which arrives August 15. More music content Pop star reveals he's been quietly battling Lyme disease: 'I was shocked' 52 Sumner in Springfield announces new shows for fall These WMass performers are honing their skills at CitySpace Easthampton Country icon to perform at Mass. city's 400th anniversary celebration Rock singer details illness that made him spend 'seven months in bed,' cancel tour Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
TIFF and Oct. 7 documentary makers come to ‘resolution,' film will be screened after dayslong back-and-forth
In a dramatic U-turn, the Toronto International Film Festival has said it will now show a documentary about Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and in a joint statement with the filmmakers apologized for originally yanking the film. 'We are pleased to share that The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue will be an official TIFF selection at the festival this year, where we believe it will contribute to the vital conversations that film is meant to inspire,' the statement from TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and filmmaker Barry Avrich read. 6 Militants transport a reportedly captured Israeli woman via motorcycle in the Gaza strip. AFP via Getty Images 6 A sign for the Toronto International Film Festival. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP 6 The front page of the New York Post on Thursday, August 14, 2025. 'In this case, TIFF's communication around its requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry,' the statement continued. 6 Vlada Patapov at the Tribe of Nova music festival runs during the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. 6 Militants drives back to the Gaza strip with the body of an Israeli soldier on October 7, 2023. AP The world premiere for the movie, which had been booted out of the festival for using footage taken by Hamas fighters without the terror group's permission, will now be held on Aug. 20. 6 A house left in ruins after an attack by Hamas militants. Getty Images 'Both TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration expressed by the public and we want to address this together,' the statement continued, concluding a bitter dispute between the festival and the movie's creators.
UPI
5 hours ago
- UPI
Hot weekend horse racing action set for Canada, France, the U.S.
1 of 2 | Caitlinhergrtness, last year's King's Plate winner, tackles Saturday's Grade I E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In." Photo by Michael Burns, courtesy of Woodbine Aug. 15 (UPI) -- A Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" in Canada, with the King's Plate on the same card, a filly formerly based in Norway running in a Grade I at Saratoga and a hot mile in France are the icing on the tasty cake that is weekend horse racing. Here it is, fresh out of the oven. Filly & Mare Turf She Feels Pretty feels like a real solid contender in a field of seven set for Saturday's $750,000 (Canadian) Grade I E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The Karakonte filly, trained by Cherie DeVaux, finished second in the Grade I Diana in her last start, but before that ran off four straight wins, three of them in Grade I affairs. Overall, she has won seven of 11 starts, good enough for 3-5 odds on the morning line. Diamond Rain invades from England for Godolphin, and the Charles Fipke homebred Ready for Shirl could be dangerous. The 2024 King's Plate winner, Caitlinhergrtness, attempts to become the first horse to win both that iconic race and the E.P. Taylor. Thought Process, Lush Lips and Will Then top an overflow field for Saturday's $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Oaks. A field of 11 is set for Friday's $100,000, 1 3/8-mile CCT and TOC Stakes at Del Mar. It's a competitive bunch, with Mrs. Astor as the 5-2 favorite on the morning line. Turf Emmanuel is a narrow morning-line favorite in a very competitive field of six entered for Friday's $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup at Penn National. Turf Mile Cruden Bay and Dresden Row are the morning-line picks in a field of locals for Saturday's $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II King Edward Stakes at Woodbine. War Strategy is going well but steps up and stretches out. Turf Sprint Future Is Now is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of nine for Friday's $150,000 Smart & Fancy Stakes for fillies and mares at Saratoga. Classic Woodbine Oaks winner No Time is the only filly in a field of 13 set for Saturday's $1 million (Canadian) King's Plate for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds at Woodbine. Fillies have prospered against colts in recent years and the Ontario-bred daughter of Not This Time is the morning-line favorite, albeit at a tepid 7-2, to extend that record. She hasn't been the most consistent thing for trainer Mark Casse, sporting only three wins from eight starts. Among the males, the first three finishers from the Plate Trial return as does another Casse charge, Ashley's Archer, who defeated several of these in the Cup and Saucer last October. Elsewhere, trainer Brad Cox may have found a cozy spot for First Mission in Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park. The Godolphin runner finished third in the Grade I Stephen Foster in his last start, won the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap two starts back and his eight career wins include four graded stakes -- one more than Iselin opponent Repo Rocks. The other four combined have none. Distaff Good Cheer went undefeated through her first seven starts, including the Kentucky Oaks, before misfiring in the Grade I Acorn at Saratoga on June 6, finishing fifth. She returns in Saturday's $600,000 Grade I Alabama for 3-year-old fillies at the Spa to face the Acorn winner, La Cara, and four new foes. La Cara has won five of 11 starts, but finished ninth in the Kentucky Oaks, 13 lengths adrift of Good Cheer. Wait. There's more in this Alabama field. Kentucky-bred Queen Azteca started her career in Norway (yes, in Scandinavia) and then hit Dubai like a sandstorm early in the World Cup Carnival, winning the Group 3 UAE Oaks and finishing a respectable fifth in the Group 2 UAE Derby. She returned to Sweden and finished second in the Swedish Derby shortly after being acquired by Team Valor. Now, here she is taking on America's best. This field also has Nitrogen, who had been dynamite on the turf earlier, won an off-the-turf heat at the Spa on June 7 and tries the dirt again. Sprint Simcoe and Victory Achieved, both dedicated to speed, are the morning-line favorites in Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Bold Venture Stakes on the Woodbine all-weather course. The Young'uns Saturday's $150,000 Skidmore at Saratoga is 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. Sandals Song, winner of the Royal Palm Juvenile, returns from a third-place finish in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. Tough Critic won his debut at Keeneland, but then finished 11th in the Windsor Castle at the Royal meeting. Trainer Wesley Ward unveils two -- Gypsy Art and Schwarzenneger. Sunday's counterpart for 2-year-old fillies, the $150,000 Bolton Landing, has 2-for-2 Gerrards Cross and My Sweetheart returning to the turf after finishing second on the dirt in the Schuylerville on the Fourth of July. While Thursday's "Best of Ohio" races at Thistledown were restricted to state-breds, the winners surely were impressive enough for their high-profile trainers to consider bigger things. Crown the Buckeye won the $100,000 Best of Ohio Kindergarten Stakes for state-breds by 12 1/4 lengths for trainer Mike Maker. Kontiki was equally dominant in the $100,000 Miss Ohio Stakes, kicking loose to win by 12 lengths for trainer Brad Cox. Around the world, around the clock France If all the entries actually go to the post, Sunday's Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville should be quite the 1,600-meter show. The cast, as of Thursday, included Zabiari, Rosallion and Docklands with the likes of Dancing Gemini, Notable Speech and The Lion In Winter looking to regain form or move up a peg. That's only half the story, though, as Japan has dispatched ace miler Ascoli Piceno. The 4-year-old Daiwa Major filly is 2-for-2 this year, with victories in the Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard in February and the Grade I Victoria Mile at Tokyo Racecourse in May. It's not a Breeders' Cup qualifier. But it might as well be one. Ireland Saturday's Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh is a quarterfinal, so to speak, in trainer Aidan O'Brien's bid to get Los Angeles to the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Should he show sufficient promise, the Coolmore runner would head for France and the Prix Foy on the Arc trials program. England York's iconic Ebor Meeting looms next week, featuring the Juddmonte International and a host of supporting heats. Great racing. Great venue. Stay tuned ... Wednesday's otherwise unremarkable schedule included a potentially promising little heat at Salisbury Racecourse, hard by Stonehenge and virtually in the shadow of one of England's iconic cathedrals. Only three turned out for the British Stallion Studs EBF Stonehenge Stakes for 2-year-olds, possibly because of the paltry £22,684 winner's share of the purse. The heavy favorites were Godolphin's Morris Dancer and Paul and Claire Rooney's A Bit of Spirit, both by Palace Pier. The latter showed a bit of spirit, leading for much of the 1 mile. Then, William Buick downshifted on Morris Dancer, blew by the rival and drove off to win by 4 lengths. Morris Dancer, trained by John and Thady Gosden, got his second win from four starts. He's entered for the big-time, late-season, 2-year old features.
