Observing the braying, spit-flecked mob outside the doors to Toronto’s Park Hyatt Hotel on Monday night — replete with signs (falsely) accusing Israel of genocide, and hinting (clearly) at a desired genocide of their own — it almost seemed redundant to ask: What did the anti-Israel, pro-Hamas swarm hope to accomplish?

It’s a relevant question, too: Like, what the hell? Are you actually against books, pro-Hamas cabal? Have you, at long last, reached that low, that nadir?

Because that’s all that the tony affair at the Park Hyatt was about, folks: Books. Canadian books, in particular.

The occasion was the awarding of the Giller, which is one of the biggest such prizes for writing in the world, with $100,000 going to the winner. It’s been going for years now, and was started by the much-admired Jack Rabinovitch, a business guy who loved books. He named the prize after his wife and true love, Doris Giller, who had been editor at the books section of the Toronto Star. After Jack died in 2017, his daughter Elana Rabinovitch took up the mantle.

The finalists this year were from across........

© Edmonton Sun