The Globe’s John Barber speculates that we’re in a golden age of literary awards here in Canada. Well, gold-plated, anyway. And apparently this is a good thing.

Snap quiz: Who won the 2009 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize?

The fact that somebody might actually know the answer to such a question represents a real achievement for Canadian writers and publishers, who habitually fret that an image-addled world has forgotten them. Fifteen years of heavily publicized, open-bar galas have made a name for the winner of the annual Giller Prize, but this year the charmed circle of recognizable Canadian authors magically expanded.

Douglas Coupland would call it a “syzygy,” which is what happens when three celestial bodies line up to make an argument. Bettors would call it a “Triple Crown.” The effect is similar: Awarding three national literary prizes on consecutive Tuesdays every November has added new dimensions of drama to what was formerly a one-night coronation.