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Edition 53 (2017) Winner
Cherie Dimaline
シェリー・ディマリン
Cherie Dimaline
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1975-07-02 （Georgian Bay area）
- Nationality
- Métis, Canadian
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Métis community in the Georgian Bay area → Toronto
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Editor, Museum Curator, Investment Company Manager, Director of a Women's Resource Center, Magician's Assistant
- Active Years
- 2007-2024
- Affiliations
- Georgian Bay Métis Council, Métis Nation of Ontario, Toronto Public Library
- Nominations
- Canada Reads 2018 Finalist (The Marrow Thieves), White Pine Award 2018 Finalist (The Marrow Thieves), Governor General's Award 2024 Shortlist (Into The Bright Open)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival Fiction Book of the Year | Red Rooms | Fiction | Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival | Winner |
| 2014 | Ontario Premier's Awards for Excellence in the Arts Emerging Artist of the Year | — | — | Ontario | Winner |
| 2017 | Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature | The Marrow Thieves | Young Adult | Governor General's Literary Awards | Winner |
| 2017 | Kirkus Prize | The Marrow Thieves | Young Adult Literature | — | Winner |
| 2021 | Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award | — | — | Writers' Trust of Canada | Winner |
Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival Fiction Book of the Year
2007
Work:
Red Rooms
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival
Result:
Winner
Ontario Premier's Awards for Excellence in the Arts Emerging Artist of the Year
2014
Organization:
Ontario
Result:
Winner
Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature
2017
Work:
The Marrow Thieves
Category:
Young Adult
Organization:
Governor General's Literary Awards
Result:
Winner
Kirkus Prize
2017
Work:
The Marrow Thieves
Category:
Young Adult Literature
Result:
Winner
Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award
2021
Organization:
Writers' Trust of Canada
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Literature
1 appearances
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Edition 6 (2018) Winner
Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic
1 appearances
-
Edition 41 (2024) Winner
-
Edition 12 (2025) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Marrow Thieves
2017 Young Adult FictionA dystopian future where Indigenous youth are hunted for their bone marrow, which holds the ability to dream, exploring ongoing colonial exploitation.
ColonialismIndigenous ExploitationSurvivalDreams
Empire of Wild
2019 FictionA Métis woman searches for her missing husband, incorporating Wendigo mythology.
Indigenous MythologyIdentityFamily
Hunting by Stars
2021 Young Adult FictionSequel to The Marrow Thieves.
ResistanceCommunity
Bibliography
- Red Rooms
- Seven Gifts for Cedar
- The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy
- A Gentle Habit
- The Marrow Thieves
- Empire of Wild
- Little Bird Stories, Volume 9
- Hunting by Stars
- VenCo
- An Anthology of Monsters: How Story Saves Us from Our Anxiety
- Tiger Lily and the Secret Treasure of Neverland
- Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
- Into The Bright Open
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Indigenous PerspectiveSpeculative FictionOral Tradition Influence
- Recurring Motifs
- Legacy of ColonialismIndigenous ResilienceMyth and MonstersEcological Devastation
Legacy
Renowned Métis author blending Indigenous experiences with speculative fiction, notably winning the Governor General's Award for The Marrow Thieves. A key voice in Canadian Indigenous literature with international acclaim.
Trivia
- Worked as a magician's assistant in her youth.
- Founding editor of Muskrat Magazine.
- First Governor General's Award acceptance speech delivered in Anishinaabemowin.