Ms. Johanna Skibsrud, originally from Scotsburn, Nova Scotia, is now Canada’s newest star. Her first novel, The Sentamentalists, has received Canada’s most prestigious literary award, the $50,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize. The 30-year old received the award November 9, 2010, making her the youngest writer to receive the Giller Prize in its 17-year history.

The Sentamentalists is a fictional piece which depicts the relationship between the narrator and her father, a Vietnam veteran named Napoleon who is nearing the end of his life. Inspired by a true story, the novel tracks the journey of a daughter seeking truth to her father’s past. As quoted by The Guardian, Ms. Skibsrud paid tribute to her father upon receiving the award:

"Through my entire life he always believed in me as a writer. Since I was a little kid he was always telling his friends, 'Just wait for her bestselling novel to come out.'

Only 800 hand bound copies of the novel exist and the fact that they are so rare, makes for an unusual follow up story. First editions were published by Kentville NS’ Gaspereau Press, an award-winning small press enterprise. To meet the skyrocketing demand for the book,  Skibsrud and Gasperau Press struck a deal with Vancouver based publishers Douglas & McIntyre who will publish 30,000 paperback copies. The second run is slated for release as early as Thursday November 18 and will be available at Canadian retailers such as Amazon.ca.

To read more about Ms. Skibsrud’s recent accomplishment, visit The Chronicle Herald and The Guardian.

^{Photo courtesy of CTV.ca}