Book Award nominees named
The best of Saskatchewan writing and publishing was honoured Thursday with the announcement of 2014’s Saskatchewan Book Award nominees.
Lisa Bird-Wilson was nominated for four awards, including the book of the year and the fiction award for her first fiction book Just Pretending.
“I’m excited. I haven’t processed it yet. I have to go and read the list to see which one I’m nominated with,” she said at the announcement.
The other book of the year nominees are Dwayne Brenna for Stealing Home, Bernard Flaman for Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011, Cathy Littlejohn for Metis Soldiers of Saskatchewan: 1914-1953, Daniel Macdonald for A History of Breathing, and Mari-Lou Rowley for Unus Mundus.
The nominees for the Saskatoon Book Award are Bird-Wilson, Brenna, Rowley, Adam Pottle for Mantis Dreams: The Journal of Dr. Dexter Ripley and Elaine M. Will for Look Straight Ahead.
Children’s author Art Slade announced several of the Saskatoon nominees Thursday at the Frances Morrison Central Library. A similar announcement was held in Regina.
This year, 187 books were submitted for 13 awards.
“I think we’ve produced some really great writing from this province. We have a really dynamic literary arts community and this helps us showcase that,” Bird-Wilson said.
Bird-Wilson said she is looking forward to the ceremony in the spring, especially since the guest speaker is her editor for Just Pretending, Warren Cariou. The pair spent 10 months working on the collection of short stories, which draws on identity and the Metis experience.
“If my name is called and I get to share the stage a little bit with Warren, that would be exciting,” she said.
The Saskatchewan Book Awards take place April 26 in Regina. Tickets go on sale Friday at bookawards.sk.ca, by calling 306-569-7585 or emailing info@bookawards.sk.ca. Tickets cost $75 or $500 for a table of eight.
A full list of nominees can be seen online at bookawards.sk.ca.