Souvankham Thammavongsa 
How to Pronounce Knife 
Winner of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize

WINNER OF THE SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE



»Spellbinding» i

»Breathtaking» Elle

»Powerhouses of feeling and depth» Mary Gaitskill

»Sharp and vital» Daisy Johnson


»Excellent» Margaret Atwood on Twitter
An ex-boxer turned nail salon worker falls for a pair of immaculate hands; a mother and daughter harvest earthworms in the middle of the night; a country music-obsessed housewife abandons her family for fantasy; and a young girl»s love for her father transcends language.



In this stunning debut, Souvankham Thammavongsa captures the day-to-day lives of immigrants and refugees in a nameless city, illuminating hopes, disappointments, love affairs, and above all, the pursuit of a place to belong.




»There is not a moment off in these affecting stories» Sheila Heti