Victoria Book Prizes 2019
September 11th, 2019
The Victoria Book Prize Society is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2019 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize and the Victoria Children’s Book Prize.
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In its 16th year, the $5,000 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize is awarded to a Greater Victoria author for the best book published in the preceding year in the categories of fiction, non-fiction or poetry.
The five finalists are:
Robert Amos
Robert Amos (non-fiction) – E.J. Hughes Paints Vancouver Island (TouchWood Editions)
Lorna Crozier (poetry) – God of Shadows (McClelland & Stewart)
Esi Edugyan (fiction) – Washington Black (Patrick Crean Editions)
Darrel J. McLeod (biography) – Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age (Douglas & McIntyre)
Kathy Page (fiction) – Dear Evelyn (Biblioasis)
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In its 12th year, the $5,000 Victoria Children’s Book Prize is awarded to a Greater Victoria author or illustrator for the best children’s book published in the preceding year.
The three finalists are:
Kit Pearson
Aidan Cassie – Sterling, Best Dog Ever (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Jenny Manzer – My Life as a Diamond (Orca Book Publishers)
Kit Pearson & Katherine Farris – The Magic Boat (Orca Book Publishers)
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Two independent juries comprised of representatives from the local literary arts community adjudicated the entries.
The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala, hosted by CBC Radio’s Gregor Craigie, on
Wednesday, October 9, at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) at the Union Club of British Columbia, 805 Gordon Street.
Gala tickets are $20 and are available now at Munro’s Books, Ivy’s Bookshop, Tanner’s Books, Russell Books, Bolen Books, and the Victoria Book Prize Society at 250.294.7774 or www.victoriabookprizes.ca.
Founded in 2004, the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize is a partnership between the City of Victoria and Brian Butler of Butler Brothers Supplies. The children’s book prize is awarded to an author or illustrator of children’s or youth literature and was established in 2008 by the late Mel Bolen of Bolen Books. This year marks a change for the children’s category: the prize will be awarded as the Victoria Children’s Book Prize while the society seeks a new sponsor for the award in 2020.
Additional sponsors include the Union Club of British Columbia, the Magnolia Hotel and Spa, Chateau Victoria, the Inn at Laurel Point, Friesens Corporation, Munro’s Books, Russell Books, Tanner’s Books, Ivy’s Bookshop, CBC Radio, Island Blue Print Co. and the Greater Victoria Public Library. 1 of 2
The Victoria Book Prize Society establishes policy and criteria for the prizes, administers the competition and appoints the juries. For more information: www.victoriabookprizes.ca or www.victoria.ca.
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For More Information:
Andrea Walker Collins
Arts, Culture and Events Liaison
Arts, Culture and Events Office
City of Victoria
250.361.0308
Alyssa Polinsky
President
Victoria Book Prize Society
250.893.1311
victoriabookprizes@shaw.ca
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