Esi Edugyan
Esi Edugyan’s most recent novel, Washington Black, was chosen by The New York Times and Barack Obama as one of the best books of 2018. It was nominated for and awarded many prizes, including the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, the Giller Prize, and the Booker Prize. In 2025, it was adapted into a limited series on Disney+. She also delivered the CBC Massey Lectures, Out of the Sun: On Race and Storytelling, and is the author of the picture book Garden of Lost Socks. In 2023, she served as Chair of Judges for the Booker Prize. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Writers & Books
Award History
Jury Citation
"Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black compels with a dramatic force that makes this novel a page-turner. Born into slavery on a Barbados plantation in 1818, George Washington Black endures in a volatile world that works not only to brutally stifle his natural artistic and scientific talents, but his daunting search for emotional freedom. Edugyan skillfully navigates the often-formidable space between history and modern storytelling to leave readers with an intelligent and engaging novel that is relevant and necessary today. Ultimately it is her young hero’s awakening amidst overwhelming obstacles that will inspire the reader’s heart, and merit this work for lasting recognition." — 2018 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize Jury (Ann Y.K. Choi, Mireille Silcoff, Robert Wiersema)
Program History
2026 - Juror
Writers’ Trust Board Fellowship
Works Recognized by WT