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