The Scotiabank Giller Prize went to a creative writing professor and first-time novelist.

Ian Williams of Brampton, Ontario took home $100,000 for his book ‘Reproduction’, his first novel after previously publishing collections of poetry. He tearfully accepted the award with a speech thanking Margaret Atwood for inspiring him to write throughout his life.

A third of the authors shortlisted for Monday’s Giller Prize were from this province.

Two local authors, Megan Gail Coles and Michael Crummey, were shortlisted for the national $100,000 prize. They took home $10,000 each.

Janet Harron is with the Office of public engagement at MUN and organizing a watch party for the awards tonight. She says having two locals on the list is a pretty major achievement.

Harron says when she moved here she was struck by the tight-knit writing community, and the it makes sense for local writers to be recognized nationally as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have a great gift for language and storytelling.