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Key points
- Born in Tehran, raised in Surrey, BC, now Vancouver-based
- The Small Ones (Knopf, September 29, 2026) is a 2026 Giller Prize finalist
- Her debut, Aria, was shortlisted for the 2020 Amazon.ca First Novel Award
- Wrote Aria while doing an MFA at UBC
Nazanine Hozar was born in Tehran and came to Canada with her family as a child, after the Iranian Revolution. She grew up in Surrey, British Columbia, and is now based in Vancouver. Her new novel, The Small Ones, published by Knopf on September 29, 2026, is one of five finalists for the 2026 Giller Prize. It turns to one of the hardest stories of the 20th century: children sent to fight in war.
From Surrey to the page
Hozar studied creative writing at the University of British Columbia, where she worked on an MFA. It was during that program that she wrote her first novel, Aria. Published in 2019, it is set against the Iranian Revolution, and Margaret Atwood called it “a sweeping saga of the Iranian revolution.” Aria became a bestseller and was shortlisted in 2020 for both the Amazon.ca First Novel Award and the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.
The Small Ones
Her second novel returns to Iran, this time to the early 1980s and the fighting along the Iran-Iraq border. The Vancouver Writers Fest describes it as “a gripping fable about children who are caught up in a military insurgence.” A group of young boys, and one girl, are forced to become soldiers and martyrs.
The story is told by Amir, who travels with his friend Clay along the Karun River toward freedom. Their journey comes at a heavy cost. By keeping the focus on the children themselves, the book asks readers to see war through the eyes of the people least able to choose it.
On the Giller shortlist
The 2026 Giller Prize shortlist was announced on October 5. A jury of independent booksellers chose five books from more than 140 submissions, and every author on the list is a first-time Giller finalist. Hozar shares the shortlist with Michelle Good, Patmeena Sabit, Nicholas Herring and Tara Gereaux. The finalists are based from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island, a sign of how far the year’s shortlist reaches.
The winner, who receives $100,000, will be named on November 16, 2026, at a televised ceremony hosted by Rick Mercer. Each of the other finalists receives $10,000.
Why her work matters
Hozar writes about Iran from the inside of its history, with the eye of someone whose family lived through it and the perspective of someone who grew up in Canada. Her books bring stories that many Canadian readers know only from headlines into the space of a novel, where they become personal. For newcomers to Canada, and for anyone curious about the histories that shape their neighbours, her work opens a door.
Where to learn more
You can read more about The Small Ones on the Vancouver Writers Fest reading list, and find both of her novels at bookstores and libraries across Canada. Watch for the Giller Prize announcement on November 16.
You can also visit her author page at Penguin Random House Canada.
Questions and answers
What is The Small Ones about?
It follows children forced to become soldiers along the Iran-Iraq border in the early 1980s. The narrator, Amir, and his friend Clay travel along the Karun River toward freedom, at a heavy cost.
What was Nazanine Hozar's first novel?
Her first novel was Aria, published in 2019 and set during the Iranian Revolution. It was shortlisted in 2020 for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award and the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.
Has The Small Ones won the Giller Prize?
Not yet. It is one of five finalists for the 2026 Giller Prize, and the winner will be announced on November 16, 2026.
