The ReLit Awards are Canadian literary prizes awarded annually to book-length works in the novel, short-story and poetry categories."Three indie writers honoured by ReLit Awards". The Globe and Mail, July 19, 2007. Founded in 2000 by Newfoundland filmmaker and author Kenneth J. Harvey."Shortlists announced for ReLit Awards" . National Post, August 31, 2010.
Subtitled Ideas, Not Money the main title of the awards is short for Regarding Literature, Reinventing Literature, and Relighting Literature."ReLit award winners named". Ottawa Citizen, July 27, 2008. The awards were conceived by Harvey as an alternative to larger mainstream prizes such as the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Awards."Canada's newest literary prize is for independent presses". National Post, November 8, 2000. There is no money awarded for the prize; in the first two years, the winners received a nominal prize of one Canadian dollar,"It's in the mail; wear the prize". Vancouver Sun, June 14, 2003. but since 2003 the recipients have been presented with a silver ring designed by Newfoundland artisan Christopher Kearney, featuring four inlaid movable dials engraved with all of the letters of the alphabet."Manitoba publishers nab four Relit nods". Winnipeg Free Press, February 11, 2017.
The award was known for its use of what were commonly called "very longlists" or "long shortlists", with no limit on the number of works that could be nominated in a given year and no followup winnowing of the nominees into a shorter list of finalists.Steven W. Beattie, "ReLit (very) longlists announced". Quill & Quire, September 4, 2012.
The award went on hiatus in the late 2010s, with no shortlists or winners announced for 2018, 2019 or 2020.
It was announced in January 2021 that management of the award had been taken over by Harvey's daughter Katherine Alexandra Harvey, with the project expanding to incorporate an online literary journal and a mentorship program for young writers.Ryan Porter, "ReLit Awards launches literary journal, teen mentorship under new executive director" . Quill & Quire, January 7, 2021. In April 2021, the shortlists and winners for all of the hiatus years were announced throughout the month.Ryan Porter, "ReLit announces 2021 winners in third week of month-long celebration" . Quill & Quire, April 23, 2021.
In September 2023, Harvey announced that the awards will go on hiatus after that year's announcements, due to funding difficulties."ReLit Awards cancelled after current year". Quill & Quire, September 14, 2023.
Nominees and winners Novel +ReLit Award for Novel winners and shortlistsYearAuthor(s)TitleResult2001SkinWinner Nominee This Place Called AbsenceJust for ComfortBafflegab2002Lenny Bruce Is DeadWinner2003PleaseWinner Nominee Necessary Betrayals2004Still Life With JuneWinnerKameleon Man Nominee 2005An English GentlemanWinnerMackerel Sky Nominee SointulaBlind Night2006AlligatorWinner Nominee 2007Bow GripWinner Nominee Miss LampDe Niro's GameManBugAll This Town RemembersSuddenly the MinotaurOrphans of WinterSeason of Iron2008WinnerOrphan Love Nominee SoucouyantCrown ShynessBig White Knuckles2009Chase & HavenWinnerCleavage Nominee ShuckGirls Fall DownCharlie MuskratAnna's Shadow2010WinnerOverqualified Nominee After the Red NightWrong BarAway From EverywhereHolding Still for As Long As Possible2011Blood RelativesWinner Nominee One Bloody Thing After AnotherKrakow MeltGood Evening, Central LaundromatBookSweet England2012MonocerosWinnerDirty Feet Nominee MaintenancePrickThe TattooIdaho Winter Cherry Beach ExpressAlgomaConstance, AcrossSix Metres of PavementAdriftThe BoyPrickGlass BoysSoldier of the HorseFlowers of SpitThe Time We All Went MarchingThe Ballad of Martin B.Description of the Blazing WorldKalilaThese Shadows RemainMissing MatisseBreak MeEasy to LikeDriftBloodlineSnowball, Dragonfly, JewMongrelIntention/Implication/WindHard HedThe Last Stoic2013Life Is About Losing EverythingWinnerMaidenhead Nominee Heidegger StairwellLockpick PornographyTexasWhitetail Shooting GalleryDirty BirdLove and the Mess We're InNinja Versus Pirate Featuring ZombiesMinor Episodes Major RuckusGivenMount RoyalHusk2014Savage 1986-2011WinnerSneaker Wave Nominee Fallsy DownsiesJuanita Wildrose, My True LifeInfidelitySay Nothing Saw WoodParadise RevisitedAnatomy of a Girl GangCaughtRogue Cells/ Carbon HarbourEvery Little ThingBurning from the Inside2015WinnerHysteric Nominee SavourJazzJust Beneath My SkinUniversal Bureau of CopyrightsCelia's SongNorth EastCarafolaNew Tab and DymentMotion SicknessBunny and SharkMy Grandmother's PillMotherwildPedalMr. JonesBarkerWaltPolyamorous Love Song2016One Hundred Days of RainWinner Nominee Too Much on the InsideSplitWhere Did You Sleep Last NightWinnie's Tongue Martin JohnAll-Day BreakfastChinkstarOne Hit Wonders2017Wigford RememberiesWinner Nominee "Zoe Whittall, Jordan Abel among writers shortlisted for ReLit Awards". CBC Books, April 9, 2018.Mister NightingaleBrothersPsychomachiaRunning on FumesThis MarloweWeekendBeen in the Storm So LongListening for JupiterNiagara MotelAll That SangHungary-Hollywood ExpressEnglish Is Not a Magic LanguageToday I Learned It Was YouFabulous Fictions & Peculiar PracticesBlackbird CallingInto the Current2018Long Ride YellowWinner Nominee Tarry This NightLeave Us in PeaceYou Are Among MonstersIn the CageSmall ClaimsDying Behaviour of CatsTouching StrangersOnly the Devil Is HereSkeet LoveIn Every WaveTo Me You Seem Giant2019Marry, Bang, KillWinnerQueen Solomon Nominee Army of the Brave and AccidentalAtomic RoadIn WhichLittle BeastAmusement Park of Constant SorrowNo QuarterNo Good AskingHummingbirdAdjacentlandTwin StudiesBlack StarChameleon 2020Skin HouseWinnerProof I Was Here Nominee Crocuses Hatch from SnowThere Has to Be a KnifeItzel I: A Tlatelolco AwakeningThis Is Agatha FallingDual CitizensProvisionally YoursCrowWe All Will Be Received2021Fake It So RealWinnerAlways Brave Nominee "38 books shortlisted for 2021 ReLit Awards". CBC Books, April 19, 2021.All I AskSeeing MartinButter Honey Pig BreadThrow Down Your ShadowsDirty BirdsFairNoopimingAfter EliasFauna2022Avenue of ChampionsWinner Nominee Dante's IndianaSutureInstructorSaltusI, Gloria GrahameMonster ChildSaturday MorningWe, Jane2023Querelle of RobervalWinner"2023 ReLit Awards winners announced". Quill & Quire, October 2, 2023. Possessed Nominee "ReLit Awards announce 2023 long shortlists". Quill & Quire, September 25, 2023.Wonder WorldThe WardsGood GirlMy Indian SummerA Kid Called ChatterJunieThe Second SubstanceFearnochTearHotline
Poetry +ReLit Award for Poetry winners and shortlistsYear Author(s)TitleResult 2001Hymns to PhenomenaWinnerChange RoomNomineeSwimming Among the RuinsDyssemia SleazeMining for Sun2002WinnerEunoiaNomineePigeon2003Excessive Love ProsthesesWinnerDisturbances of ProgressNomineeSeven Pages Missing (Vol. 2)Mycological Studies2004Small ArgumentsWinnerAshlandNomineeHouse Built of Rain2005Night Street RepairsWinnerNomineeMirabelSaid Like Reeds or Things2006Hot PoppiesWinnerLigaturesNomineeIn the Scaffolding2007Predicting the Next Big Advertising Breakthrough Using a Potentially Dangerous MethodWinnerBlackNomineeI, Nadja and Darren Wershler-HenryApostropheAll the LiftersTypes of Canadian WomenTear DownWhat You Can't Have2008Soft GeographyWinnerNomineeAll Things Said & DoneÆthelSitcomTwo HemispheresI Cut My Finger2009Fear NotWinnerNoble Gas, Penny BlackNomineeLittle HungerDead Cars in ManaguaPenny DreadfulTroubledSentenced to Light2010Red NestWinnerNomineeLisa Robertson's Magenta Soul WhipPaper RadioAlways Die Before Your Mother2011SweetWinnerMarimba ForeverNomineeEvery Day in the Morning (Slow)You Know Who You Are2012Jumping in the AsylumWinnerBlindfoldNomineeMethodist HatchetWhat Is the Sound of Someone UnravellingCivil and CivicThe Id KidWore Down TrustA Page from the Wonders of Life on EarthGift HorseLove FiguresRedA Walker in the CityDying a LitteThe Cure Is a ForestThis WayTrueInsomniac BluesEasy PeasyA Complete Encyclopedia of Different Types of PeopleMatchApologetic for JoyCrowWoods Wolf GirlStraight Razor DaysBook of DisordersSunday, the LocustsAppolinaire's Speech to the War MedicHypotheticalsThe Monotony of Fatal AccidentsSpinning Side Kick Versions of NorthThe Collected Poems of Patrick LaneThere Devil, Eat ThatWretched BeastMyoclonusL’il BastardThe Sun Has Forgotten Where I LiveOnion ManThe Pillow BooksNarcissus UnfoldingOnly the Fallen Can SeeHooligansContraryBeautiful MutantsErrStrong BreadGrunt of the MinotaurPost-ApothecaryDance, Monster!The Truth of HousesFluttertongue 5Campfire Radio RhapsodyGrace ShiverEngland Is MineThe Anatomy of ClayNo End in StrangenessEarwormThe Crystal PalaceEchoic MimicSweet DevilryAnd See What HappensGulfStartled NightForge2013Omens in the Year of the OxWinnerCloudy with a Fire in the BasementNomineeNew and Selected PoemsNatural CapitalRiot LungOur Gleaming Bones UnrobedConflictTrobairitzPersonals2014PlaceholderWinnerComplete Surprising Fragments of Improbable BooksNomineeWhat the World SaidHow This World Comes to an EndMultitudesThis Cockeyed WorldHow Poetry Saved My LifeCoping With Emotions and OttersMonkey SoapForgeLiquiditiesHard AssKnife Throwing Through Self-HypnosisLove's Not the Way ToOur Days in VaudevilleFor Display Purposes Only2015MxTWinnerRolliMavor's BonesNomineeOn MaliceYawSchoolPoems Suitable to Current Material ConditionsBroom BroomThouTwo Tragedies in 429 BreathsAfter WordsIn the Museum of Leonardo Da VinciEasy FixWhen We Were OldOpen Letter: Woman Against Violence Against WomenHouse Dreams2016WinnerLast Stop, Lonesome TownNomineeMonologue DogsTransmitter and ReceiverRotten Perfect MouthAsbestos HeightsLove Me TenderBodymapCollected PoemsExquisite MonstersDear LeaderThis World We InventedForeign ParkKeeping Watch at the End of the WorldFauxccasional PoemsNo Work Finished Here2017All the Gold Hurts My MouthWinnerInjunNomineeIf I Were in a Cage I’d Reach out For YouAll of Us Reticent, Here, TogetherSaint TwinPound @ GuantanamoCanticles ILittle DogsEvery Night of Our LivesSilent SisterAfter All the Scissor Work Is DoneTight WireAssdeep in WonderShinerHard Work Cheering Up Sad MachinesMetanoiaNineteen Fifty-SevenTouch Anywhere to BeginMeditatio Placentae3 SummersTell Them It Was MozartKids in TriageYes or NopeStampede and the Westness of West2018Frequent, Small Loads of LaundryWinnerChildren Shouldn’t Use Knives and Other TalesNomineeEverything We’ve Loved Comes Back to Find UsBad EngineMuseum of KindnessDysphoriaDazzle ShipsExcitement TaxWhatever, Iceberg2019Sit How You WantWinnerbpNicholNight on Prose MountainNomineeWhat Your Hands Have DoneSafe WordsMrs. RomanovListen Before TransmitWhat Kind of Men Are YouAnatomicCity PoemsDividedQuarrelsWe Like Feelings. We Are SeriousGoodbye HorsesFull CircleNightlight for Children of InsomniacsMidday at the Super-Kamiokande2020Fresh Pack of SmokesWinnerNomineeWinter's Cold GirlsRenaissance NormcoreNDN Coping MechanismsBoom TimeNew and Collected PoemsOur Latest in FolktalesBounce HouseBreakfast with a HeronThis Is the Emergency PresentMotel of the Opposable Thumbs2021PopWinnerSwivelmountNominee We Shed Our Skin Like DynamiteAnthesisNiagara & GovernmentRoguelikeI Know Something You Don't KnowMythical ManCult Lifeit was never going to be okayI Am the Big HeartWord Problems2022Why I Was LateWinnerGrey All OverNomineeJ'Accuse...!ExhibitionistTell the Birds Your Body Is Not A GunInk EarlCreelandConstrictorSearching for EastmanIn Singing, He Composed a SongLove and Other Failed ReligionsAutowar 2023 FlywayWinner Learned Nominee But the Sun, and the Ships, and the Fish, and the Waves Brat Vox Humana Pronounced/Workable The Day-Breakers The Affirmations Infinity Network Dream Of Me As Water Blood The End Is in the Middle First-Time Listener
Short fiction