Former chief justice one of five winners at Ottawa Book Awards
Beverley McLachlin, the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, was among the five authors with roots in the Ottawa area to be recognized by the Ottawa Book Awards during a virtual ceremony Wednesday evening.
McLachlin's book, Truth Be Told: My Journey Through Life and the Law, earned the award for the year's best non-fiction work. It's a memoir that chronicles her journey from childhood in rural Alberta, growing up without electricity or running water, to her time in the highest court in the land. She retired from the Supreme Court in 2017, the longest-serving chief justice in Canadian history.
The 2020 winners' circle also includes 91-year-old Henry Beissel, whose collection of poetry, Footprints of Dark Energy, picked up the award for fiction, while the Archibald Lampman poetry award went to 33-year-old Ben Ladouceur for his book, Mad Long Emotion.
Another book of poetry, Premier quart, was honoured in the French-language literary category. The first collection of poetry by Véronique Sylvain, inspired by her Northern Ontario upbringing, it was also a winner of a Trillium award earlier this year.
Finally, the award f or French-language children's literature was presented to Mireille Messier for her book, Trésor, a beautifully illustrated tale of two siblings on a treasure hunt.
In all, 15 finalists were shortlisted for this year's awards. The winner in each category receives a $7,500 prize; $1,000 goes to each finalist.