Whistler Book Awards Finalists
July 18th, 2024
The following BC based authors have been selected as finalists for the 2024 Whistler Independent Book Awards within the fiction category. Winners will be announced during the Whistler Writers Festival, on 17-20 October, 2024.
Award-winning author, Hannah D. State’s (at right) Journey to the Dark Galaxy (Glowing Light Press $22.98) is a sequel to her book, Journey to the Hopewell Star. A mysterious signal from deep space and a murder at a military base lead Earth’s leaders to face an ultimatum: deliver Sam Sanderson to the hostile AI civilization on Logom or face interplanetary war. Drafted into the Great Alliance for Interplanetary Affairs, Sam seeks answers but finds a cold and secretive organization with a dark past. As Earth’s scientists race to defend against the AI threat, Sam is sent on a perilous mission to the Dark Galaxy. Amidst lurking dangers and high tensions, she navigates lies and dark secrets, discovering that saving humanity will require more than just courage and power. With time running out, her journey promises to change her forever.
Karen Barrow
In Palmyra (FriesenPress $25.86) by Karen Barrow, an unexpected visitor to a cocoa estate in Trinidad triggers buried memories of mysterious deaths in a once-prosperous French Creole family. The near-ruin “Great House” was where Joe, the housekeeper’s precocious eleven-year-old son, witnessed half-understood incidents in the lives of its residents. Decades later, his reawakened memories begin with the arrival of a young stranger, sparking tragic events with present-day consequences. Palmyra blends historical and geographical detail, chronicling a time when an educated elite rose from slavery and indentureship to challenge the white plantocracy and create an independent nation. This part coming-of-age story, part Gothic mystery, explores divided loyalties, family secrets and ambition.
Daphne Leonie Wright
Daphne Leonie Wright’s novel, On Love and Death and Belonging (Brimelow Goff $20.00) is a fresh, light-hearted yet profound exploration of the intersecting lives of three later-middle-aged individuals. Fiona, a burned-out nurse nearing retirement; Brice, a gay man grappling with ALS; and Adelina, living with domestic abuse and guided by her faith. This novel highlights the often-overlooked experiences of aging, loneliness, isolation, invisibility and illness, culminating in themes of medical assistance in dying and the search for belonging. It gives voice to the harsh realities of life, acknowledging that it doesn’t always get easier and can be incredibly challenging.
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ABOUT THE AWARD
Jointly administered by the Whistler Writing Society, Canadian Authors and Vivalogue Publishing, the Whistler Independent Book Awards (WIBAs) provide independent authors with the opportunity to have their work recognized through a juried process typically reserved for trade-published titles. The Whistler Independent Book awards are sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada, the national organization of professionally published authors.
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