Author Sarah Bernstein wins Canadian fiction prize for her novel 'Study of Obedience'

TORONTO — Author Sarah Bernstein won the Scotiabank Giller Prize on Monday for her novel “Study for Obedience.”

The Montreal-born, Scotland-based author accepted the $100,000 award remotely from Scotland, where she had a baby just 10 days ago.

Her novel is about a young woman moving to the remote north where after her arrival, a series of inexplicable events occur.

The 100,000 Canadian dollar ($72,000 U.S.) Giller prize honors the best in Canadian fiction. Past winners have included Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler and Alice Munro.

Just as Bernstein’s name was called at the gala, a protester interrupted the live telecast with anti-Israel war slogans, forcing organizers to repeat the announcement.

The celebrations were also interrupted early in the broadcast when several anti-Israel protesters jumped onstage.

The Giller was created in 1994 by late businessman Jack Rabinovitch in memory of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.