Little Man (novel)
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| Author | G. Herbert Sallans |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Ryerson Press |
Publication date | 1942 |
| Publication place | Canada |
| Pages | 234 |
Little Man is a Canadian novel written by G. Herbert Sallans in 1942. It is a coming of age story set in the early part of the 20th century, depicting the life of a young man growing up in the Canadian west. It won the Governor General's award for fiction in 1942. It is semi-autobiographical, following Sallans' own life story up until the release of the novel.
The story begins in France during World War I. George Battle, a new recruit experiences first hand the concussive experience of trench warfare. What follows is a flashback to his early life growing up in Saskatchewan farm country. Various episodes in Battle's life are portrayed: college, World War I duty in the artillery, a journalist job in British Columbia and finally how his life is affected by the Second World War.[1]
Awards
Little Man won the first Ryerson Fiction Award in 1942. At the time of the award, the prize was worth $500. The judges were: S. Morgan-Powell, chief editor of the Montreal Star; Pelham Edgar, a professor at Victoria College; and Lorne Pierce of Ryerson Press.[2] It later won the Governor General's Literary Award for best fiction novel. The judges were: novelist Alan Sullivan; J. E. Middleton, editor of the Toronto Saturday Night magazine; and Norman Endicott, a professor of English at the University of Toronto.[3]