Congratulations to Romeo Dallaire, Alexandra Shimo and Marc Raboy, nominees on the RBC Taylor Prize 2017 Longlist. In his piercing memoir Waiting for First Light, Romeo Dallaire, author of the bestsellers Shake Hands with the Devil and They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children, reflects on the nature of PTSD and the impact of that deep wound on his life since the Rwandan genocide. From award-winning journalist Alexandra Shimo, Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve, an intimate portrait of a place that pushes everyone to their limits. And Marc Raboy’s Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World, a biographical account of the father of wireless communication.

The RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Established biennially in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation, 2017 marks the sixteenth awarding of the RBC Taylor Prize, which commemorates Charles Taylor’s pursuit of excellence in the field of literary non-fiction.

This year’s jurors Jurors John English, Ann MacMillan, and Colin read 101 books written by Canadian authors and submitted by 29 Canadian and international publishers.

We’re delighted to see books from three WCA authors on 49^th Shelf’s 2016 list of Books of the Year. From Governor General’s Award finalist Kamal Al-Solaylee, Brown: What Being Brown in the World Today Means (to Everyone), takes a global look at the common social, political, economic and personal implications of being a brown-skinned person in the world now. Tricia Dower’s novel Becoming Lin, tells a powerful story of self-discovery and sacrifice set in the socio-political chaos of 1960s rural America. And from Jennifer Manuel, The Heaviness of Things That Float, a compelling debut novel and deft exploration of the delicate dynamic between First Nations communities and non-native outsiders.

Happy reading!

We are pleased to announce that Beth Powning’s novel, A Measure of Light, has been longlisted for the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award.

Books are nominated for the Award by invited  public libraries  in cities throughout the world – making the Award unique in its coverage of international fiction. Titles are nominated on the basis of ‘high literary merit’ as determined by the nominating library.

Congrats to Susan Juby on her Amy Mathers Teen Book Award for The Truth Commission! The jury said, “This book delivers a thoughtful reflection on the nature of truth in a package that is smart and funny and utterly original.”

The Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, established in 2014, honours excellence in teen/young adult fiction. The prize was established following the fundraising efforts of Amy Mathers through her Marathon of Books. Now in its second year, the award is sponsored by Sylvan Learning.

We are thrilled for Lynne Kutsukake whose The Translation of Love won the Canada Council’s 2016 Canada-Japan Literary Award. In her debut novel Kutsukake tells the story of Aya Shimamura, a newly repatriated girl, as she helps a classmate find her missing sister in war-devastated Tokyo.

The Canada-Japan Literary Awards recognize literary excellence by Canadian writers and translators who write, or translate from Japanese into English or French, a work on Japan, on Japanese themes or on themes that promote mutual understanding between Japan and Canada.

We are excited to announce two WCA authors have been longlisted for the 2017 BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. From award-winning journalist Alexandra Shimo comes Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve, an intimate portrait of a place that pushes everyone to their limits. Also longlisted is Marc Raboy’s Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World, a biographical account of the father of wireless communication.

Launched in 2005, the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction celebrates a genre that stimulates our national conversation and shares knowledge about the complex world in which we live. Now in its 13^th year, it is one of Canada’s largest book prizes, with one hundred thirty-seven books by 35 publishers nominated from across the country for the $40,000 prize.

Congratulations to Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad (illustrator), whose stunning children’s book, This is Sadie made the shortlist for a 2016 Quebec Writers’ Federation Award. Nominated in the category of Children’s Literature: Picture Books with Text and Beginner Readers, This is Sadie introduces readers to a little girl with a big imagination.

Every year, The Quebec Writers’ Federation shines the spotlight on the best English-language writers to emerge from Quebec. The QWF Awards include six $2,000 book prizes for Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, First Book, Translation, and Children’s and Young Adult Literature. The winners of these book prizes are announced at  QWF’s Gala each year, making it indisputably the most important literary event of the year for Quebec’s English-language writers and their readers.