Richard Van Camp’s Beast a Finalist for the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Award
Douglas & McIntyre is thrilled to announce that Beast by Richard Van Camp, is a finalist for the GG Award in the category of Young People’s Literature.
Beast is the latest feat of storytelling magic by renowned author Richard Van Camp (member of the Dogrib (Tłįchǫ) Dene Nation), in which he returns to a favourite Northwest Territories setting, crafting a supernatural thriller rich in Indigenous themes and the drama of the teenage years. Blending sharply observed realism and hair-raising horror, the story is ignited by the breakdown of “The Treaty” between the Dogrib and the Chipewyan of the Northwest Territories. Unfolding in the fictional town of Fort Simmer—the setting of previous Van Camp stories—Beast delivers a gripping, spirited tale that pits the powers of tradition against the pull of a vengeful past, with playful nods to 1980’s pop culture, and reflections on friendship, tradition and forgiveness.
Author statement: “Today I have an overflowing heart. Beast is a testament to the beauty of forgiveness and working together. It also acknowledges the power of our ancestors and our leaders like Edzo and Akaitcho who had the courage to work in peace after decades of tribal warfare. I’m grateful to my family, Keavy Martin and Edzazii Van Camp, for their support and encouragement during the seven years it took me to write my largest novel, and I want to thank my knowledge keepers and Elders for sharing their knowledge with me: Tony Rabesca, Rosa Mantla, Garth Prosper, Terri Naskan, Henry and Eileen Beaver and Chief Fred Sangris, as well as Willie Sellars, a cultural consultant.
I’m so grateful to publisher Anna Comfort O’Keeffe and to my editors at D&M, Barbara Pulling, Emma Skagen, Noel Hudson, Alicia Hibbert and Lynn Rafferty, who helped me take BEAST to where it deserved to be. I’m also grateful to my agent Janine Cheeseman at Aurora Artists, and to thank my publicist, Corina Eberle.
Mahsi cho, everyone. I share this great honor with you and with my hometown of Fort Smith, NWT.” – Richard Van Camp
Born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories (Treaty 8 territory), bestselling author Richard Van Camp is a member of the Dogrib (Tłįchǫ) Dene Nation. His work has won many awards and honors, among them the Blue Metropolis First Peoples Literary Prize and the title of Storyteller of the Year from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 2023 Van Camp was awarded the Order of the Northwest Territories. Richard has written 30 books in 30 years, with the adventure beginning with his first novel, The Lesser Blessed (Douglas & McIntyre), released as a film in 2012. Richard lives and writes in Edmonton, Alberta (Treaty 6 territory).
Founded in 1936, the Governor General’s Literary Awards are some of the oldest and most prestigious literary prizes in Canada, with a total annual prize value of $450,000. The Canada Council for the Arts has funded, administered and promoted these awards since 1959. Finalists are selected by category-specific, language-based peer assessment committees (seven in English and seven in French). This year, the committees considered eligible books published between August 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. The writers, translators and illustrators whose books are selected as the winner in each category receive a $25,000 prize. Publishers receive $3,000 to promote the winning book; finalists receive $1,000 each. The 14 winning books will be announced on November 6, 2025. For more information, visit: ggbooks.ca.