Giller Prize boycott ends after organizers say pressure was successful

CanLit Responds says its boycott of the Giller Prize is over after receiving confirmation that the prize no longer has sponsorship ties to Scotiabank, Indigo Books and the Azrieli Foundation; the Giller Foundation did not respond to requests for comment.

A group that organized a collective boycott of the Giller Prize says the campaign is over after more than a year. CanLit Responds launched the boycott in fall 2024 over links between some sponsors and Israeli institutions and says it now has confirmation that the Giller no longer has sponsorship ties to Scotiabank, Indigo Books and the Azrieli Foundation. The Giller Foundation did not respond to requests for comment, and Giller executive director Elana Rabinovitch has previously said Indigo was only a marketing partner, not a sponsor. Other organizations named in the dispute have issued statements saying their relationships ended for contractual reasons or that they are distinct from related corporate entities. Key facts: - CanLit Responds says it represents hundreds of authors and bookworkers and launched the boycott in fall 2024 over sponsors' links to Israel. - The group says it received confirmation that the Giller no longer has sponsorship ties to Scotiabank, Indigo and the Azrieli Foundation. - Giller executive director Elana Rabinovitch told CanLit Responds that Indigo never provided money to the prize and only showcased nominated works in stores. - The Azrieli Foundation said its funding agreement ended after three years and that it is a distinct entity from the Azrieli Group; its communications director said the agreement was not ended because of activist pressure. - The Giller operated in 2025 with a one-time bridge gift and smaller anonymous donations, and regulatory filings show Scotiabank’s 1832 Asset Management sold remaining holdings in Elbit Systems Ltd. Summary: The announced end of the boycott reflects a shift in the Giller Prize’s sponsorship relationships and leaves unresolved questions about trust and future participation from some writers. The 2026 Giller Prize longlist is scheduled for mid-September and the shortlist for early October, and how authors and the prize organize around those dates is undetermined at this time.