Giller Prize drops Scotiabank from name

Bank still lead sponsor, but won’t be part of branding due to controversy over weapons investments

- JOSHUA CHONG

As the Giller Foundation announced Wednesday its long list of 12 nominees in contention for the $100,000 annual prize, the organization quietly dropped Scotiabank from its title.

The Canadian financial institution remains the lead sponsor of the award, but its name has been removed from the prize title, said Elana Rabinovitch, executive director of the Giller Foundation.

The rebranding follows months of controversy surrounding Scotiabank's investment in the Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems and comes amid an ongoing campaign calling on arts organizations like the Giller Foundation to distance themselves from the financial institution.

"Ultimately, more than ever, we want to ensure the prize stays true to its purpose: to celebrate the best in Canadian fiction and to give the stage to Canada's best storytellers," Rabinovitch said in an email to the Canadian Press. "For us, that means ensuring the focus remains solely on the prize and the art itself."

Last year's Giller Prize ceremony in Toronto saw anti-war protesters disrupting the gala and calling out Scotiabank financial ties with Elbit Systems. The Israel-based weapons producer has been previously accused of manufacturing cluster munitions, a deadly weapon that more than 100 countries, including Canada, have banned.

The lead-up to this year's ceremony, scheduled for Nov. 18, has also been fraught. Activists and members of the literary community have continued to pressure the Giller Foundation to end its 20year partnership with Scotiabank, as well as financial relationships with other sponsors they say have ties to Israel's army.