April 17, 2025

Check against delivery

We are gathered today on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. With this land acknowledgement, we honour the first peoples who have lived on this land, and who have told their stories, for thousands of years.

Today, we celebrate your stories and your creative talents by presenting the Governor General’s Literary Awards.

Literature serves as a vital space for connection, especially in today’s world.

When a nation experiences a period of uncertainty and profound upheaval, it relies more than ever on its writers.

Your works are windows onto our identity.

Through your literary works, you capture the unique aspects of life in our society. What brings us joy. What causes us pain. What we dream of, too.

You also fuel our critical thinking, which is essential in navigating the overwhelming currents of information overload and division.

And above all, you inspire us to transcend our current situations, fostering a deeper understanding of our shared humanity.

This is an invaluable contribution.

Your works touch on themes that are central to the current discussions in our society.

Our relationship with our vast territory.

Our astonishing cultural diversity. Our united efforts towards inclusion and equality.

Our understanding of our complex national history, which is evolving as some of us are sharing our difficult truths while others are learning through your writing. 

Canadian identity is rich, complex and unique.

Canadian identity is also in a constant state of redefinition, as the late Murray Sinclair taught us. And if I may, I would like to quote him now since I have the pleasure of seeing his son, Niigaan, among the recipients today.

For Senator Sinclair, “Who am I? is the constant question. The one that we are always asking and always answering. It is about what you have become but it is also about what you want to become.”

This question, dear recipients, is what you continually help us to answer. Thank you.

Please, keep writing.

We are united in the pride we share for our wonderful country, Canada, and our vast, multicultural literary heritage.

Congratulations to all of you on this well-deserved honour.