In preparation for tomorrow’s Scotiabank Giller Prize gala award ceremony, the National Post has recruited a cadre of industry insiders, authors, and commentators for a special online roundtable about literary awards and their effects on the nominated titles.

The panellists are:

Moderators:
Brad Frenette and Mark Medley, National Post

Guests:
Doug Pepper, president and publisher, McClelland & Stewart
Lewis DeSoto, author of Blade of Grass, longlisted for the Booker Prize
Nino Ricci, author of The Origin of Species, 2008 Governor General’s Literary Awards nominee
Yvonne Hunter, director of marketing and publicity, Penguin Canada
Vincent Lam, author of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner
Sarah MacLachlan, president of House of Anansi
Douglas Hunter, author of God’s Mercies, 2008 Governor General’s Literary Award nominee
Martha Kanya-Forstner, editorial director, Doubleday Canada
Terry Fallis, author of The Best Laid Plans, 2008 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour winner
George Murray, moderator of Bookninja.com

Although he’s not on the official list, it appears that Pasha Malla, author of the Giller-longlisted story collection The Withdrawal Method, is also on hand for the discussion.

So far, the questions have ranged from the inane — Where will you be on Giller night? — to the provocative — Are we witnessing the emergence of a new generation of CanLit superstars?

In the early going, Doug Pepper has invited Martha Kanya-Forstner out for drinks prior to the gala, Pasha Malla has declared Lee Henderson’s novel The Man Game to be “badass,” and Nino Ricci has called literary juries “just three people horse-trading.” This roundtable discussion might be worth following.

There’s also a ticker at the bottom of the roundtable keeping track of people’s votes for which shortlisted novel should win tomorrow night. As of 12:34 this afternoon, the leader is Joseph Boyden’s Through Black Spruce, with 43% of the vote, followed by Anthony De Sa’s Barnacle Love, with 23%.