“We at Mosaic Books are very excited about Independent Bookstore Day,” Klassen adds. “We are there because we love books, and we love nothing more than talking to our customers about books and being an integral part of their reading life.”

That role has caught the eye of the Giller Prize organizers. This year, independent Canadian booksellers will judge the famed Canadian literary award. The judges are Klassen, Dan MacDonald and Lori Cheverie (Prince Edward Island/Nova Scotia/New Brunswick: Bookmark), Danielle and Rupert McNally (Toronto: Ben McNally Books), Carmela Vedar (Mississauga; The Book Wardrobe); Sean Librud (Brampton; Knowledge Bookstore), Chris Hall (Winnipeg/Saskatoon; McNally Robinson Booksellers) and Jenn Baerg Steyn (Yellowknife; Yellowknife Books).

“To be able to have a voice in this way is pretty cool,” Klassen shares the process involves advocating for their favourite books. “We’re used to giving a good elevator pitch on why something is worth reading.”

A different approach

The Rabinovitch family contacted Klassen with the offer to judge the 2026 Giller Prize. Their goal, Klassen says, was to “try something different” and spotlight booksellers across the country. 

“I got in touch with her the next day and said, ‘Yes, absolutely, that sounds like something that would be a cool and enriching experience personally – [it’s] not something I thought would ever come my way,” she shares. “What an honour to be involved in this.”

Klassen has been a fan of the award for years. She would read all the shortlisted books and certain longlisted titles. The book buyer would also livestream the awards ceremony.

“And now I’m just reading such a diverse list of books and thinking, ‘Could this be the one? Could this be on the longlist or the shortlist?’” she says.

For Klassen, engaging with the other judges around the country, all of whom are booksellers, has been a highlight. They meet once a month via FaceTime, sharing their thoughts on the books and convincing each other to read their favourite titles.

“We’ve been told to expect a hundred and a bit,” Klassen shares the number of books that will be assigned throughout the process. “We’ve been getting bundles of books assigned every month or so, and so far, we’ve had 40 books assigned.”

That number, she says, is “just a little bit” more than her usual reading load. The process has encouraged Klassen to step outside her comfort zone – reading new authors and types of books.

“I’m reading in a different way than when I’m just reading for pleasure: I’ve got a notebook beside me, and pens and highlighters,” she says of the “thoughtful” process that feels more like an assignment. “These are books I might have to debate on later to really encourage us to push them through.”

Klassen and her fellow judges will have to advocate for the books they feel most strongly about. There are no set criteria: the Giller Prize organizers has entrusted the judges to identify the winner on their own terms.

A beloved career transition

Before she was their book buyer, Klassen was a frequent customer of Mosaic Books. At the time, she was looking to leave her government job – transitioning to a more flexible role.

“I was having a chat with the owners of Mosaic Books, and we were able to make that work,” Klassen recalls. “It was a space that I loved to spend time in anyway.”

She was also attracted to the idea of working for an independently-owned, family-run local business – principles that align with her values.

“I had been a lifelong reader and a lover of books,” Klassen shares. “In the book industry, having that passion for books is what matters more than any particular education.”

Klassen now works with different publishers’ representatives, reviewing their pitches and selecting the qualified titles. She also chooses titles from publicly available catalogues. Much of this work is intuitive – a reflection of Klassen’s longstanding experience curating Mosaic Books’ selection.

“I just have a gut feeling for what our customers read, and what they are looking for and what’s going to work,” she shares, adding that the other staff also provide input based on customer engagement. “They all chime in and order books for the store as well.”

Klassen can’t talk about what she’s been reading for the Giller Prize. The list is kept secret – a stark contrast to the book lover’s previous experience sharing her reading journeys with coworkers.

Curating Canadian content

While Mosaic Books doesn’t have a specific buying quota for Canadian content, Klassen likes to keep a steady supply of Canadian literature in stock.

“I do have a soft-spot in my heart for Canadian publishers and Canadian authors – it’s never hard to fill that shelf,” she shares – adding many of these writers live in the Okanagan.

Brian Thomas Isaac (novelist), Shelley Wood (novelist/journalist), Joanna Cockerline (novelist) and Cale Atkinson (author/illustrator) are some examples. A highlight of Klassen’s workday is seeing local Canadian writers at the store.

“To have them come into the store and see their books and see their friends’ books: it’s a very great symbiotic relationship there,” Klassen adds.

While the Giller Prize has its own criteria, Klassen takes a broad definition of Canadian content when stocking Mosaic Books’ shelves. This includes authors who were born in Canada but no longer live here, and those who were born elsewhere but now call Canada home.

Klassen also points out that Canadian literature doesn’t always have to be set in Canada. Some titles on her Giller reading list, in fact, take place elsewhere.

“For stocking our store and introducing new books, I try to cast the net as wide [as possible] and let as many in as we can,” she shares. “Reading what I have so far [for the Giller Prize], in just these last few months, I’m just blown away by [the diversity of] books that Canadian writers are writing.”

These include thrillers and multi-generational historical fiction. Klassen adds that a recurring theme is climate, and ways of living on this planet and in this country.

“It’s not like a checklist – it’s a feeling of connection when a writer expresses something in a way that really connects with you,” Klassen shares her evaluation process. “I’m looking for something that will connect with a lot of readers, either in its writing or in its themes, and make them feel something.”

Mosaic Books has been Okanagan’s largest independent bookstore since 1968. It is owned by the Neill family – second and third generation booksellers from the greater Vancouver area.

For more information on Mosaic Books, see www.mosaicbooks.ca

For more information on the Giller Prize, see www.gillerprize.ca