Giller Prize 2006: Complete list of winners

Vincent Lam’s Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures claimed the 2006 Giller Prize for Fiction, marking a triumphant debut for the Toronto-based author. The interconnected story collection—which traces the lives of three medical students through their grueling training and into their careers—resonated deeply with the Giller’s judging panel. Lam’s unflinching exploration of ambition, mortality, and the human cost of healing struck that rare balance between literary sophistication and emotional accessibility that the prestigious Canadian award consistently celebrates.

The Giller Prize, established in 1994 and named after the late journalist Jalna Giller, has long distinguished itself as one of North America’s richest and most coveted literary honors. By 2006, the award had cemented its reputation for championing exceptional Canadian fiction, and Lam’s win represented exactly the kind of discovery that makes the prize so influential in shaping Canada’s literary landscape. His vivid, precise prose and willingness to explore the messy realities of contemporary medical practice brought fresh energy to the conversation around what Canadian literature could achieve.

Here’s a closer look at the 2006 Giller Prize winner:

Fiction

• Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam