Vancouver Book Award Shortlist Unveiled
September 09th, 2026
The West Coast Book Prize Society has revealed the six shortlisted titles contending for the 2026 Vancouver Book Award.
Established in 1989, the annual $3,000 prize recognizes books across all genres that deepen appreciation of Vancouver’s history, cultural diversity, unique character and residents’ achievements. The award is funded through the City of Vancouver Publishing Reserve, which was created in 1977 as an enduring legacy for local authors and publishing houses.
This year’s nominated works span poetry, civic history, visual architecture and personal memoir:
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Searching for Serafim: The Life and Legacy of Serafim “Joe” Fortes by Ruby Smith Diaz (Arsenal Pulp Press $29.99)
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Scar/city by Daniela Elza (McGill-Queen’s University Press $19.95)
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Reconciling: A Lifelong Struggle to Belong by Larry Grant with Scott Steedman (ECW Press $26.95)
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Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs by Garth Mullins (Doubleday Canada $34.95)
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Crowd Source by Cecily Nicholson (Talonbooks $19.95)
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Chinatown Vancouver: An Illustrated History by Donna Seto (House of Anansi Press $29.99)
The winner will be presented at the Vancouver Book Award Ceremony on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Alice McKay Room at the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch.
Book Warehouse will be on-site selling copies of all six shortlisted titles.
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