Tanya Talaga, award-winning journalist and author, has won the 2017 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political writing for her book Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City.

The Prize is awarded annually for an exceptional book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers.

From the jury:
“Tanya Talaga’s powerful book is a hard-hitting story of the realities of Canadian racism, complicity, and Indigenous suffering. It is also a testament to the resilience of the Anishinaabe families who endure the crushing impacts of historic and contemporary injustices. In spare prose and a direct voice, Talaga documents the tragedies of the lost lives of Indigenous youth while creating a compelling narrative that educates the reader on the sad history of Indigenous-White relations. This book is a crucial document of our times, and vital to the emergence of a true vision of justice in Canada.”

Kyo Maclear’s memoir Birds, Art, Life is the winner of the 2017 Nautilus Award in the newly created category of Lyrical Prose.

Now in its 20th year, this unique book award program honors, awards and promotes print books that inspire and connect our lives as individuals, communities, and global citizens.

A #1 national bestseller, Birds, Art, Life, follows two artists on a yearlong adventure that is at once a meditation on the nature of creativity and a quest for a good and meaningful life.

Glenn Dixon’s best-selling memoir, Juliet’s Answer: One Man’s Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak, has been shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing in the category of non-fiction.

Spurned by love, Dixon travels to Verona, Italy, to become a scribe of Juliet, Shakespeare’s fictional character, all in an attempt to understand his heartbreak. Once there, he volunteers to answer the thousands of letters that arrive addressed to Juliet, letters sent from lovelorn people all over the world who long to understand the mysteries of the human heart. The result is an enthralling tale of modern-day love steeped in the romantic traditions of eras past.

The awards are intended to encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and stylistic innovation. The prize also engages nearly 200 Stanford alumni who participate as readers and judges.Winners and finalists will be announced this summer.

We are thrilled for Matt James who has seen great success with The Funeral, his first book as both illustrator and author. Not only has the children’s book stacked up five starred-reviews, it received a lovely mention in The New York Times piece “How Do You Talk to Children About Death? These Books Can Help.” “James has an ear at child level and beautifully and convincingly shows us children who fidget during the service and consider a mourner’s hairy ear perhaps more than they think about the deceased. But they are not completely irreverent, just children, who are full of life.”

We are delighted to share this starred review from Publishers Weekly for David Chariandy’s award-winning novel, Brother. “Chariandy imbues his resilient characters and their stories with strength, dignity, and hope. This is an impressive novel written by an author in total command of his story.”

Westwood Creative Artists, one of Canada’s largest literary agencies representing more than 400 writers, is looking for a candidate to fill a full-time 12 week internship position, beginning Monday August 20^th and ending Friday November 2^nd, with possible flexibility for the right candidate.

A considerable amount of time during this internship will be spent working with WCA’s  international rights director and rights associate in preparation for the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. There will also be the opportunity to work with other WCA agents and at the reception desk. In the rights department, the intern will be involved in catalogue proofreading, general preparation and follow-up for the Frankfurt Book Fair. There will also be some data entry and other administrative tasks. While working with individual agents, the intern will understand how the agents manage their authors, learn about Canadian and US submissions, and provide needed support in a varied number of capacities. At the reception desk, the intern will really be at the “nerve centre” of the agency. Tasks will include daily administration work, reading submissions, and receiving authors and publishers as they arrive at the agency.

We offer a competitive honorarium of $1500, a lively and congenial work environment in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood, and an excellent opportunity to gain an overview of the publishing industry in Canada and abroad through the lens of the literary agent and the writers we represent.

The ideal candidate will be eager to learn, highly organized, energetic, and have a positive outlook. Strong proofreading and computer skills required; previous office experience and knowledge of the publishing industry an asset; passionate attention to detail and accuracy a must. Please send your cover letter, resume, and references to the attention of Carolyn Forde at Carolyn@wcaltd.com at your earliest convenience or by July 16^th. We appreciate all applications but will only reply to candidates selected for an interview.

When the Moon Comes, illustrated by Matt James and written by Paul Harbridge is an Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award Honour Book!

The Jury commented:

“James’s illustrations are magnificent, an excellent marriage between bright and dark colours. He evocatively captures the sense of waiting for the perfect moment when the ice will finally be ready for that first hockey match on the pond.”

IBBY Canada’s Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award, established in 1985, honours one of Canada’s pre-eminent book illustrators.

We are delighted to share that four WCA authors have been chosen for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Imagination Library books are specially selected age-appropriate, high-quality titles. These books are delivered to registered children each month from birth to age five. This effort creates a gifting experience making books exciting and shows the child someone is thinking of them.

Carson Crosses Canada by Linda Bailey

The Secret Life of Squirrels by Rose

This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary

When the Moon Comes by Paul Harbridge and illustrated by Matt James

The film adaptation of Richard Wagamese’s Indian Horse was nominated in five categories of the 2018 Leo Awards and won in two categories! It was nominated for best motion picture, best director, best screenwriting, best picture editing, and best musical score. It won best visual effects and best sound.

Organised by the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia, the Leo Awards celebrate and promote the achievements of the British Columbia film and television industry.

Congratulations to Trevor Cole, whose book The Whisky King: The Remarkable True Story Of Canada’s Most Infamous Bootlegger And The Undercover Mountie on His Trail won the 2018 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book.

The Arthur Ellis Awards, established in 1984 and named after the nom de travail of Canada’s official hangman, are awarded annually by the Crime Writers of Canada.