Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Austin Clarke who last night won the coveted Giller Prize for fiction with his book
The Polished Hoe.
The Giller Prize is awarded annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English and is recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for English language fiction in Canada.
Mr. Clarke is the author of five short story collections and nine novels, most notably The Origin of the Waves which won the Rogers Communication Writers' Trust Fiction Prize in 1998.
Canadian authors from all regions and backgrounds have long been recognized as among the best in the world. Our authors continue to create masterful works which appeal to audiences everywhere. We are extremely proud of the excellent calibre of our writers.
I invite all Canadians to join me in congratulating Mr. Austin Clarke for winning the 2002 Giller Prize.