The West Coast Book Prize Society is pleased to announce the names of the finalists vying for recognition in eight categories at the 40th Annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes:
Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize awarded to the author of the best work of literary fiction:
- Darrel J. McLeod, A Season in Chezgh’un (Douglas & McIntyre)
- Geoffrey D. Morrison, Falling Hour (Coach House Books)
- Hazel J. Plante, Any Other City (Arsenal Pulp Press)
- Brandon Reid, Beautiful Beautiful (Nightwood Editions)
- Chelsea Wakelyn, What Remains of Elsie Jane (Dundurn Press)
Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize awarded to the author of the best original non-fiction literary work:
- Colleen Brown, If you lie down in a field, she will find you there (Radiant Press)
- Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World (Knopf Canada)
- Helen Knott, Becoming a Matriarch (Knopf Canada)
- Emelia Symington-Fedy, Skid Dogs (Douglas & McIntyre)
- John Vaillant, Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast (Vintage Canada)
Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize to recognize the author(s) of the book that contributes most to the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia and Yukon:
- Jennifer Bonnell, Stewards of Splendour: A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia (Royal BC Museum Publications)
- Ian Kennedy, The Best Loved Boat: The Princess Maquinna (Harbour Publishing)
- Wayne McCrory, The Wild Horses of the Chilcotin: Their History and Future (Harbour Publishing)
- David Norwell, A Complex Coast: A Kayak Journey from Vancouver Island to Alaska (Heritage House)
- Katherine Palmer Gordon, This Place Is Who We Are: Stories of Indigenous Leadership, Resilience, and Connection to Homelands (Harbour Publishing)
Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize awarded to the author of the best work of poetry:
- Dominique Bernier-Cormier, Entre Rive and Shore (icehouse poetry)
- Jess Housty, Crushed Wild Mint (Nightwood Editions)
- Samantha Nock, A Family of Dreamers (Talonbooks)
- Bradley Peters, Sonnets from a Cell (Brick Books)
- Cathy Stonehouse, Dream House (Nightwood Editions)
Jim Deva Prize for Writing That Provokes presented to a book that challenges or provokes ideas and forces that shape what writing, art, and/or society can become:
- Helen Knott, Becoming a Matriarch (Knopf Canada)
- Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, JAJ: A Haida Manga (Douglas & McIntyre)
- Angela Sterritt, Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls (Greystone Books)
- Y-Dang Troeung, Landbridge: Life in fragments (Alchemy by Knopf Canada)
- Lindsay Wong, Tell Me Pleasant Things about Immortality: Stories (Penguin Canada)
Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize presented to the best illustrated book written for children:
- G. Alaraj (Author), Martyna Czub (Illustrator), When Stars Arise (Orca Book Publishers)
- Kirsten Pendreigh (Author), Crystal Smith (Illustrator), Maybe A Whale (Groundwood Books)
- David A. Robertson (Author), Maya McKibben (Illustrator), The Song That Called Them Home (Tundra Books)
- Lorna Schultz Nicholson (Author), Ellen Rooney (Illustrator), What to Bring (Owlkids)
- Jordan Scott (Author), Sydney Smith (Illustrator), My Baba’s Garden (Neal Porter Books)
Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize awarded to the best non-illustrated book written for children:
- Janis Bridger and Lara Jean Okihiro, Obaasan’s Boots (Second Story Press)
- Polly Horvath, Pine Island Visitors (Puffin Canada)
- Wanda John-Kehewin, Hopeless in Hope (HighWater Press)
- Julie Lawson, Out of the Dark (Nimbus Publishing)
- Andrea Warner (Author), Louise Reimer (Illustrator), Rise Up and Sing! Power, Protest, and Activism in Music (Greystone Books)
Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award presented to the originating publisher and author(s) of the best book in terms of public appeal, initiative, design, production, and content:
- Sam George, with Jill Yonit Goldberg, Liam Belson, Dylan MacPhee, and Tanis Wilson, The Fire Still Burns: Life In and After Residential School (UBC Press, Purich Books)
- Jess Housty, Crushed Wild Mint (Nightwood Editions)
- Francine McCabe, Fleece and Fibre: Textile Producers of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands (Heritage House)
- Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, JAJ: A Haida Manga (Douglas & McIntyre)
- Henry Tsang, White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver (Arsenal Pulp Press)
The winners in the eight categories will be announced at the BC and Yukon Book Prizes Gala on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at the University Golf Club in Vancouver, along with the recipient of the 2023 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence and the Borealis Prize: The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution.
A selection of the shortlisted authors will be part of BC and Yukon Book Prizes On Tour. This author reading tour will take finalists to schools and public venues in many communities throughout BC and Yukon from May through September 2024.
A soirée to celebrate the shortlisted authors will be held on Thursday, May 16, at 6:30 pm at Book Warehouse in Vancouver (632 West Broadway). This casual, celebratory event to kick off the festivities is free and open to the public. Finalist books will be available to purchase.