We’re delighted to announce that Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations, from the late Richard Wagamese, won the 2017 BC Booksellers’ Choice Award. In this beautiful collection of reflections Wagamese shares his hard-won wisdom on how to feel the joy in everyday things.
Congratulations to 2017 Ethel Wilson Prize winner Jennifer Manuel! In her debut novel, The Heaviness of Things That Float, Manuel explores the delicate dynamic between First Nations Communities and non-native outsiders.
In her review of Jessica Raya’s new novel, Please Proceed to the Nearest Exit, Winnipeg Free Press writer Sharon Chisvin calls it “delightful, engaging… a surprising pleasure to read.” Read the full review here.
We are absolutely thrilled for Lynne Kutsukake, winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize in the category of Literary Fiction for The Translation of Love. 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.
Author Zoe Whittall, this year’s Literary Fiction judge, says: “The Translation of Love is a tremendously accomplished work, a propulsive and layered story, the scope of which is quite unusual for a first novel. I was gripped and often very moved while reading and it stayed with me for weeks.”
Now in its third year, the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize recognizes exemplary Canadian authors in the categories of Literary Fiction, Specualtive Fiction, and Non-Fiction. Each winner receives a $10,000 cash prize as well as promotional, marketing, and communications support to help kick off their burgeoning careers.
On July 13, 2017 Ann Y.K. Choi joined host Nam Kiwanuka on TVO’s The Agenda to talk about her debut novel Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety. Check out her interview here.
We are thrilled for 2017 Porter Fund Literary Prize winner Padma Viswanathan. Presented annually to an Arkansas writer with a substantial and impressive body of work, the $2,000 prize makes it one of the state’s most lucrative and prestigious literary awards.
From The Idle Class Magazine:
“It seemed somehow fitting that I received the call about being selected for the Porter Prize while watching my kids play in Central Park: no matter where I go now, Arkansas, my adopted home, exerts an irresistible pull,” said Viswanathan. “I didn’t know, when I moved to Fayetteville eleven years ago, whether Arkansas would have me, nor what I would have to offer this place. To be awarded the Porter Prize feels like a response to those questions. I am profoundly honored.”
Viswanathan, a Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist, is the author of The Toss of a Lemon and The Ever After of Ashin Rao.
Deborah Willis at Freehand Books has acquired English-Canadian rights to TWIN STUDIES, a novel centring around twins and gender issues and set in Vancouver between 2009 and 2010, by Keith Maillard, former Chair of the Creative Writing Program at UBC. Publication is slated for Fall 2018 and the deal was arranged by John Pearce of Westwood Creative Artists.
Polish rights to Roz Nay’s debut psychological thriller have sold to Czarna Owca, for their crime and thriller “black series”. The deal was arranged by Tomasz Berezinski of Graal Literary agency on behalf of Carolyn Forde at Westwood Creative Artists.
Vietnamese rights to Yann Martel’s The High Mountains of Portugal have been acquired by Tre Publishing House, bringing the number of territories sold to 28. The deal was arranged by Carolyn Forde of Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Jackie Kaiser.
Arabic rights to Jaspreet Singh’s Chef have been acquired by Al-Rafidain Publication, based in Beirut. The deal was arranged by Carolyn Forde of Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Jackie Kaiser.
Arthuss have acquired Ukrainian rights to Don Thompson’s The Supermodel and the Brillo Box. The deal was arranged by Tatjana Zoldnere of Andrew Nurnberg Associates Baltic and Carolyn Forde of Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of John Pearce.