1972 Governor General's Awards

Each winner of the 1972 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts. The winners were given a $2500 cash prize.

English Language

 * Fiction: Robertson Davies, The Manticore 
 * Poetry or Drama: Dennis Lee, Civil Elegies and Other Poems 
 * Poetry or Drama: John Newlove, Lies 

French Language

 * Fiction: Antonine Maillet, Don l'Orignal 
 * Poetry or Drama: Gilles Hénault, Signaux pour les voyants
 * Non-Fiction: Jean Hamelin and Yves Roby, Histoire économique du Québec 1851–1896