VANCOUVER, Nov. 13 /CNW/ - The jury for Canada's largest literary
non-fiction prize, the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, has
released its longlist for 2009. One hundred and sixty-three titles were
nominated for the $40,000 prize by publishers from across the country. The
jury panel has selected the following longlist of 15 books.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LONGLIST FOR THE FIFTH ANNUAL BC NATIONAL AWARD FOR CANADIAN NON-FICTION
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Title Author Publisher
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A Fair Country: Telling John Ralston Saul Viking Canada
Truths about Canada
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An Imperfect Offering: James Orbinski, Doubleday Canada
Humanitarian Action in M.D.
the Twenty-first Century
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Bittersweet: Confessions Philip Lee Goose Lane Editions
of a Twice-Married Man
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Burning Down the House: Russell Wangersky Thomas Allen
Fighting Fires and Losing Publishers
Myself
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Concrete Reveries: Mark Kingwell Viking Canada
Consciousness and the City
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Dangerous World: Natural Marq de Villiers Viking Canada
Disasters, Manmade
Catastrophes, and the
Future of Human Survival
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Lucy Maud Montgomery: Mary Henley Rubio Doubleday Canada
The Gift of Wings
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Marie-Anne: The Maggie Siggins McClelland & Stewart
Extraordinary Life of Ltd.
Louis Riel's Grandmother
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Pathologies: A Life in Susan Olding Freehand Books
Essays
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Race to the Polar Sea: Ken McGoogan HarperCollins
The Heroic Adventures and Publishers Ltd.
Romantic Obsessions of
Elisha Kent Kane
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The Alchemy of Loss: A Young Abigail Carter McClelland & Stewart
Widow's Transformation Ltd.
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The Secret Lives of Saints: Daphne Bramham Random House Canada
Child Brides and Lost Boys
in Canada's Polygamous
Mormon Sect
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The Sexual Paradox: Extreme Susan Pinker Random House Canada
Men, Gifted Women and the
Real Gender Gap
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The Soviet Ambassador: The Christopher Shulgan McClelland & Stewart
Making of the Radical Ltd.
Behind Perestroika
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What is America? A Short Ronald Wright Alfred A. Knopf
History of the New Canada
World Order
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Jury Chair John Cruickshank notes: "The diversity and quality of the BC
National Award longlist reflects the high calibre and range of non-fiction
being published in Canada today. The jury continues the challenge of selecting
the shortlist from these outstanding titles."
The finalists for the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction will be
announced in early December. The award presentation will take place in
February 2, 2009 in Vancouver.
The jury for the 2009 British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
comprises:- Stevie Cameron, award-winning author, journalist, and commentator.
Known as one of Canada's foremost investigative journalists, Ms.
Cameron has contributed to national media including Maclean's, The
Globe and Mail, and The Financial Post. Her latest book is The
Pickton File, based on the Robert Pickton murder trial in BC.
- John Cruickshank, publisher of CBC News. Mr. Cruickshank is a former
managing editor of The Globe and Mail and former editor-in-chief of
The Vancouver Sun. Under his leadership the Sun won a record number
of National Newspaper Awards. Prior to joining the CBC, Mr.
Cruickshank was publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times and chief
operating officer of the Sun-Times Media Group.
- Andreas Schroeder, author, TV and radio host, and academic. Mr.
Shroeder has written some 20 books, published in most of Canada's
major newspapers, been a TV and radio host, and served as a long-time
contributor to CBC radio's Basic Black Show. He holds the Rogers
Communications Chair in Creative Nonfiction at UBC. His latest book
is the autobiographical novel Renovating Heaven.
Previous winners for the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
include:
- Lorna Goodison for From Harvey River (2008)
- Noah Richler for This Is My Country, What's Yours? (2007)
- Rebecca Godfrey for Under the Bridge (2006)
- Patrick Lane for There Is a Season (2005)The BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is presented by the
British Columbia Achievement Foundation, an independent foundation established
and endowed by the Province of British Columbia to celebrate excellence in the
arts, humanities, enterprise and community service.
For more information on the British Columbia Award for Canadian
Non-Fiction and on submission guidelines, please visit www.bcachievement.com.
For further information: Nora Newlands, British Columbia Achievement
Foundation, (604) 261-3348, www.bcachievement.com
