The shortlist for the inaugural Staunch Book Prize has been announced and we’re thrilled to see Anna Porter’s The Appraisal made the cut!

Staunch says:

“In this fast-paced and demanding literary novel, the reader must work to keep track of the twists and turns and the many players, none of whom are entirely truthful – including the fearless protagonist, Helena Marsh. A gripping thriller set against the rich post-war history of middle-Europe where fortunes were reversed through war, revolution and shifting political regimes and where the past itself cannot be trusted. Born in Budapest, Canadian writer Anna Porter generously shares her knowledge of time and place and impresses with detailed insights into the world of art history and appropriation, big money deals and the quest for restitution.”

We are absolutely over-the-moon thrilled for Matt James, one of ten artists worldwide to make the list of 2018 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books! The Funeral, James’ first book as both author and illustrator, was praised by the New York Times for it’s “colorful acrylics and playful collage [that] lend a youthful exuberance to a normally dreary subject, giving poignant insight into a child’s understanding of the adult world.”

Congratulations to 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award winners Darrel J. McLeod and Jordan Tannahill!

Mamaskatch by Darrel J. McLeod in the category of Non-Fiction.

From the Peer Assessment Committee:

“Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age dares to immerse readers in provocative contemporary issues including gender fluidity, familial violence, and transcultural hybridity. A fast-moving, intimate memoir of dreams and nightmares—lyrical and gritty, raw and vulnerable, told without pity, but with phoenix-like strength.”

Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom by Jordan Tannahill in the category of Drama.

From the Peer Assessment Committee:

“Jordan Tannahill’s two-play volume explores the fragility of social consensus in a world made uneasy by the forces of social division. Both plays are poetic, irreverent and funny, offering the pleasure of entertainment while displaying masterful literary ability. Tannahill possesses a powerful artistic voice that reflects where we come from, who we are and who we may become.”

When the Moon Comes from author Paul Harbridge and illustrator Matt James is the winner of the 2018 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.

From the Jury:

“A remarkable book in every respect…. The quietly told tale is beautifully enhanced by James’ stunning artwork. Even the wordless spreads speak volumes… This nostalgia filled adventure with friends will resonate with those who love the moon, nature and hockey… There’s a bit of mystery and magic, too, captured on these pages… An outstanding book worthy of many readings.”

Bill Gaston’s masterful short story collection A Mariner’s Guide to Self Sabotage is the winner of the 2018 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize.

Here is what the jury had to say:

“To read a Bill Gaston story is to discover something new about yourself, every time. Timely and timeless, funny and full of depth, these are some of Gaston’s finest, smartest, and most varied stories.”

Roy MacGregor’s Original Highways: Travelling the Great Rivers of Canada is the winner of the 2018 Ottawa Book Award for English Non-Fiction.

Here’s what the jury had to say:

“Whether they be glamorous, powerful or recovering from a fetid past, Roy MacGregor masterfully conveys the beauty and fragility of the 16 rivers whose characters he portrays in Original Highways. This unique history of place and people from the geological past to the present day offers a heart-felt call to cherish the precious resource of these waterways. By turns fascinating, funny and poignant, this book is a vivid and compelling read.”

Jury members: Pius Adesanmi, Sylvia Barrett, Suzanne Evans

David Chariandy’s celebrated novel Brother won the 2018 Toronto Book Awards. Since publication in 2017 the novel, set in Scarborough, has won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and was longlisted for the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

What the Jury said:

“In a near flawless piece of writing, David Chariandy brings readers to a story that may very well feel both foreign and familiar. Brother, his second novel, is a lean masterwork driven by spare, painstakingly-crafted prose. No word is wasted in this book, and every word leaves a mark. In this world-building, or perhaps world-revealing novel, Chariandy casts off tropes that readers may expect from a story about family, violence, loss, and survival, and lets the heart of the novel, and its fully-drawn characters, dictate the course of the narrative. This book has already become part of the Toronto literary canon, and should reside there for ages.”

Congratulations to all of the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Awards finalists! We’re especially thrilled to see books from so many WCA authors make it this far.

Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom by Jordan Tannahill in the category of Drama.

Mamaskatch by Darrel J. McLeod in the category of Non-Fiction.

Winnie’s Great War by Lindsay Mattick and Josh Greenhut, illustrated by Sophie Blackall in the category of Young People’s Literature.

Go Show the World by Wab Kinew, illustrated by Joe Morse in the category of Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books.

All Things Consoled, Elizabeth Hay’s startling and beautiful memoir about the drama of her parents’ end, is a finalist for the 2018 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction.

Jury Citation:

“Elizabeth Hay’s loving, exacting memoir, All Things Consoled, details the decline of her elderly parents with unflinching tenderness. The path she and her family travel is crooked and long, filled with hospital beds and doctors’ visits, foggy minds, and shuffling confusion. But Hay’s prose elevates this ordinary rite of passage — the death of one’s parents — to something rare and poetic.”

Congratulations to humanitarian doctor and activist James Maskalyk whose book Life on the Ground Floor: Letters from the Edge of Emergency Medicine has been shortlisted for the 2018 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. Maskalyk, deemed “A master of the medical memoir,” by the Toronto Star, won the 2017 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction.