Toronto writers pick up Trillium Awards

Authors Melanie Mah and Meaghan Strimas are the English-language winners of this year’s Trillium Book Awards honouring Ontario writers. Mah, who was born in Rocky Mountain House, Alta., and now lives in Toronto, won the top honour in the literature category for her debut novel The Sweetest One. Strimas, who grew up in Owen Sound and is also based in Toronto, won the poetry prize for her third collection, Yes or Nope.

The French-language literature prize went to Ottawa-based Jean Boisjoli for his debut novel La Mesure du temps, while the French-language children’s literature award went to Ottawa-born Pierre-Luc Belanger for Ski, Blanche et avalanche.

Trillium Book Award literature winners receive $20,000 and their respective publishers $2,500 to promote the winning titles. Poetry and children’s literature winners each receive $10,000 and their publishers $2,000. Finalists in all categories receive $500.