Each winner of the 1983 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Table of contents
1 English Language
2 French Language
3 Other Governor General's Awards:

English Language

Fiction

Winner: Other Finalists:
  • Philip Kreiner, People Like Us In a Place Like This
  • H.R. Percy, Painted Ladies
  • Susan Swan , The Biggest Modern Woman of the World

Poetry

Winner:
  • David Donnell, Settlements

Other Finalists:
  • Christopher Dewdney, Predators of the Adoration: Selected Poems 1972-82
  • Don McKay, Birding, or Desire
  • Anne Szumigalski, Doctrine of Signatures

Drama

Winner:
  • Anne Chislett, Quiet in the Land

Other Finalists:
  • None

Nonfiction

Winner:
  • Jeffery Williams, Byng of Vimy

Other Finalists:
  • Ken Dryden, The Game
  • H.S. Ferns, Reading from Left to Right: One Man's Political History

French Language

Fiction

Winner:
  • Suzanne Jacob, Laura Laur

Other Finalists:
  • Victor-Lévy Beaulieu, Discours de Samm
  • France Ducasse, Du lieu des voyages
  • Carole Massé, L'Existence
  • Francine Noël, Maryse
  • Suzanne Robert, Vulpera

Poetry

Winner:
  • Suzanne Paradis, Un goût de sel

Other Finalists:
  • Claude Beausoleil, Une certaine fin de siècle: Poésie 1973-1983
  • Hugues Corriveau, Revoir le rouge
  • Denis Vanier, Rejet de prince

Drama

Winner:
  • René Gingras, Syncope

Other Finalists:
  • Michelle Allen, La passion de Juliette
  • René-Daniel Dubois, 26 bis, impasse du Colonel Foisy

Nonfiction

Winner:
  • Maurice Cusson, Le contrôle social du crime

Other Finalists:
  • Clermont Dugas, Les régions périphériques: défi au développement du Québec
  • Jacques Michon, Émile Nelligan: les racines du rêve
  • François Rousseau, L'oeuvre de chère en Nouvelle-France. Le régime des malades à l'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec

Other Governor General's Awards:

2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991 - 1990 - 1989 - 1988 - 1987 - 1986 - 1985 - 1984 - 1983 - 1982 - 1981 - 1980 - 1979 - 1978 - 1977 - 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - 1972 - 1971 - 1970 - 1969 - 1968 - 1967 - 1966 - 1965 - 1964 - 1963 - 1962 - 1961 - 1960 - 1959 - 1958 - 1957 - 1956 - 1955 - 1954 - 1953 - 1952 - 1951 - 1950 - 1949 - 1948 - 1947 - 1946 - 1945 - 1944 - 1943 - 1942 - 1941 - 1940 - 1939 - 1938 - 1937 - 1936