A western writer a lock to win CBC non-fiction prize

Five female writers finalists, edging out 1,800 nationwide

Five western Canadian women are the finalists for the 2014 CBC Creative Nonfiction Prize. Edging out 1,800 submissions nationwide, they are Sarah Habben of St. Albert, Jennifer Clark of Calgary, Brandee Eubank of New Brigden southeast of Edmonton, Patricia Webb of Port Moody, B.C., and Fort Smith’s Patti-Kay Hamilton.

The finalists for the French version of the award, Prix de la nouvelle Radio-Canada 2014, are all from Quebec and Ontario, and include this year’s single male nominee, Prevost, Que.’s Mathieu Lachance.

Bornin Colorado, now living in St. Albert, Habben’s short philosophical memoir explores the idea of being forever affixed to one’s place of birth. After living in Africa as a child for years she was nonetheless treated as an American.

The grand prize winner will be announced just past midnight, Monday, July 28, followed by an event and two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre, publication in en-Route magazine and a $6,000 prize.

The other finalists receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts. The competition, designed to encourage new and unpublished writers, required entrants to submit a short piece of creative non-fiction.

The 2012-2013 winner was Mo Srivastava for his story, The Gods of Scrabble. CBC Books also hosts an annual short-story prize which this year went to Vancouver’s Jane Eaton Hamilton.