Finalists Named for National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction

The 2013 shortlist for the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction was announced today by Keith Mitchell, chair of the BC Achievement Foundation. The BC Award is one of the largest non-fiction book prizes in the country.

2013 marks the ninth year for the annual award, the previous winners of which include Charlotte Gill, John Vaillant, Ian Brown, Russell Wangersky, Lorna Goodison, Noah Richler, Rebecca Godfrey, and Patrick Lane.

"This shortlist exemplifies how crucial the best Canadian non-fiction is to the ongoing construction of our national identity," said Mitchell. "We thank the jury for their work in selecting these excellent finalists from the field of 143 books nominated for this year's prize."

The shortlist was chosen by jury members Paul Whitney, who served as City Librarian at Vancouver Public Library until his retirement at the end of 2010; Martin Levin, books editor of the Globe and Mail since 1996; and Jan Whitford, whose long history in publishing has included positions as editorial director, literary agent, and lecturer at the SFU Masters in Publishing Program, York University Creative Writing Program, and Humber School for Writers. The jury will announce the winner of the 2013 prize at a special presentation ceremony in Vancouver in February, 2013.

Please click on the book covers above to read the jury citations for each finalist.