The Trillium Book . Ontario's literary prize. Winners 1987 to present.

The Trillium Book Award is given annually by the government of the Province of Ontario and is open to books in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, drama, children's books, and poetry. Anthologies, new editions, re-issues and translations are not eligible. Three jury members per language judge the submissions, select the shortlist and the winning title. The jury is composed of writers and other members of the literary community.

Canadian citizens and landed immigrants who have lived in Ontario for at least three out of the past five years and who have been published anywhere in the world are eligible. Their publishers are invited to submit titles to the Ministry of Culture for consideration. In 1993 the award was expanded by Bob Rae's government to also include a French language category. In 2003, English and French poetry categories were added to the awards.

The award given to the author of each winning book is $20,000 and their publishers receive $2,500 for the marketing and promotion of the titles.

2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 |1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987

2008 Winners

2008 marks the 21st anniversary of the Trillium Book Award. The winners of this year's Trillium were announced on June 12th by the Hon. Aileen Carroll, Ontario Minister of Culture, and Kevin Shea, Chair of the Ontario Media Development Corporation, at a luncheon at Hart House. “This year’s winners of the 21st Trillium Book Award reflect the talent, diversity and appeal of Ontario’s literary heritage, as well as its future,” said Shea. “We congratulate all the authors and their publishers for continuing to enrich the lives of readers at home and around the world.”

English-language winner: Barbara Gowdy, Helpless (HarperCollins)
French-language winner: Pierre Raphaël Pelletier, L’OEil de la lumière (Les Éditions L’Interligne)
English-language Poetry winner: Rachel Zolf, Human Resources (Coach House Books)
French-language Poetry winner: Tina Charlebois, Poils lisses (Les Éditions L’Interligne)

2007
o English - Barbara Gowdy (left) , Helpless
o English (Poetry) - Rachel Zolf, Human Resources
o French - Pierre Raphaël Pelletier, L'Oeil de la lumière
o French (Poetry) - Tina Charlebois, Poils lisses

2006
o English - Mark Frutkin, Fabrizio's Return
o English (Poetry) - Ken Babstock, Airstream Land Yacht
o French - Paul Savoie, Crac and Daniel Castillo Durante, La Passion des nomades
o French (Children's) - Françoise Lepage, Poupeska

2005
o English - Camilla Gibb, Sweetness in the Belly
o English (Poetry) - Kevin Connolly, drift
o French - Jean Mohsen Fahmy, L'Agonie des dieux
o French (Poetry) - Éric Charlebois, Centrifuge

2004
o English - Wayson Choy, All That Matters
o English (Poetry) - Maureen Scott Harris, Drowning Lessons
o French - Antonio D'Alfonso, Un vendredi du mois d'aout
o French (Poetry) - there was no prize given this year, as there were fewer than 5 submissions. The prize money is being used to create a scholarship for French-language emerging poets.

2003
o English - Thomas King, The Truth About Stories
o English (Poetry) - Adam Sol, Crowd of Sounds
o French - Serge Denis, Social-démocratie et mouvements ouvriers and François Paré, La distance habitée
o French (Poetry) - Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo, Avec tes mots

2002
o English - Austin Clarke, The Polished Hoe and Nino Ricci, Testament
o French - Michel Ouellette, Le testament du couturier and Éric Charlebois, Faux-fuyants

2001
o English - Richard B. Wright, Clara Callan
o French - Michèle Matteau, Cognac et Porto

2000
o English - Don Coles, Kurgan
o French - Didier Leclair, Toronto, je t'aime

1999
o English - Alistair MacLeod, No Great Mischief
o French - Andrée Christensen and Jacques Flamand, Lithochronos ou le premier vol de la pierre

1998
o English - André Alexis, Childhood and Alice Munro, The Love of a Good Woman
o French - Daniel Poliquin, L'homme de paille and Stefan Psenak, Du chaos et de l'ordre des choses

1997
o English - Dionne Brand, Land to Light On
o French - Roger Levac, Petite Crapaude!

1996
o English - Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces
o French - Nancy Vickers, Le Pied de Sappho and Alain Bernard Marchand, Tintin au pays de la ferveur

1995
o English - Margaret Atwood, Morning in the Burned House and Wayson Choy, The Jade Peony
o French - Maurice Henrie, Le Balcon dans le ciel

1994
o English - Donald Harman Akenson, Conor: A Biography of Conor Cruise O'Brien; Volume 1 Narrative
o French - Andrée Lacelle, Tant de vie s'égare

1993 - Jane Urquhart, Away and Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride

1992 - Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient

1991 - Margaret Atwood, Wilderness Tips

1990 - Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth

1989 - Modris Eksteins, Rites of Spring

1988 - Timothy Findley, Stones

1987 - Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion