New Orleans resident Joseph Boyden has won the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his second novel, Through Black Spruce.

The Giller, which is worth $50,000, is celebrating its 15th year.

Boyden's book is a portrait of contemporary aboriginal life and family struggles that ensue after a beautiful young woman goes missing.

The author, who was raised in a Toronto suburb, burst onto the literary scene in 2005 with his debut novel, Three Day Road.

This year's short list was mostly made up of literary newcomers.

Montreal writer Rawi Hage was nominated for his novel, Cockroach, which is also up for several other book prizes this fall. Other finalists were Marina Endicott of Cochrane, Alta., for Good to a Fault; Guelph resident Mary Swan for The Boys in the Trees; and Toronto writer Anthony De Sa, for the short story collection Barnacle Love.

Tory McNally, co-owner of McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, says the annual televised literary bash is like Canada's "mini-Academy Awards."

"It makes a big difference to our authors to be celebrated," McNally, who was preparing to host a Giller bash at her store, said from Winnipeg. "There are tons of customers who come in and read the Giller list."

Indeed, booksellers across the country agree that the prize has had a tremendous impact since businessman Jack Rabinovitch founded it in 1994 in memory of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.

The shortlisted authors receive a rare moment in the media spotlight and their books usually see a spike in sales. The ceremony, held at a posh downtown hotel and broadcast live on Bravo, attracts some of the biggest movers and shakers in politics and publishing.

CTV will broadcast the show tonight.

This year's judging panel was made up of authors Margaret Atwood and Colm Toibin and politician Bob Rae. They read 95 books submitted from 38 publishing houses to eventually settle on a short list of five.

Past winners of the prize include Atwood, Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje and the late Mordecai Richler.

Swan's The Boys in the Trees was named the winner of this year's "Guess the Giller" contest, in which libraries, bookstores and Scotiabank branches encourage the public to pick the winning book.