BC Celebrates Canada's Best

The Largest Non-Fiction Book Prize in Canada

Previous winners for the British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction include:
Russell Wangersky for Burning Down the House (2009)
Lorna Goodison for From Harvey River (2008)
Noah Richler for This Is My Country, What's Yours? (2007)
Rebecca Godfrey for Under the Bridge (2006)
Patrick Lane for There Is a Season (2005)

About the Prize

The British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction recognizes Canada's finest writers of literary non-fiction. The award celebrates a genre that stimulates our national discourse and illuminates our shared experiences and the complex world in which we live.

Now in its sixth year, this national award has increased its prize value to $40,000, making it the largest literary nonfiction prize in the country. Each shortlisted author will now receive $2,500.

The British Columbia's Achievement Foundation was established and endowed by the Province of British Columbia in 2003 to celebrate excellence and achievement in the arts, humanities, enterprise and community service. It presents national awards, such as the British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, as well as provincial awards.

Prize

A shortlist of up to four finalists will be selected by the jury.

The winner will receive $40,000.

Other shortlisted finalists will receive $2,500.
The shortlist will be announced in November 2009, and the award will be presented at a special ceremony in Vancouver in early 2010.

Jury

An independent qualified jury panel will consider submitted books and select the short list and the winner based on literary excellence. The jury's decision regarding eligibility, interpretation of the rules, the shortlist and the winner is final.

AWARD GUIDELINES

Eligibility

All entries must be first print editions published in Canada in English between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009, and be widely available to Canadian readers in bookstores and libraries. Books not published by August 31, 2009 but to be published by October 31, 2009 may be submitted as bound galley proofs.
All entries must be authored by a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
Entries may be authored by one or two individuals. Multi-authored titles are not eligible.
Only works of literary non-fiction are eligible. Entries should demonstrate a high standard of craft and quality of thought, whatever their subject or category within the genre.
Self-published books are not eligible. These are understood to include books authored by a senior officer of the book's publishing firm, and/or whose publication was underwritten in part or whole by the author. Such books as textbooks, how-to books, photographic books, etc. are not eligible.
Posthumously published books are not eligible.
If a book is shortlisted, it is understood that the author will attend the Presentation Ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The jury may request submissions at its discretion.

Submission Process

All entries must be submitted by an eligible publisher, a firm whose primary business is book publishing and one with established national distribution.
All entries must be received by August 31, 2009. For those books published between November 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, please submit as soon as possible by July 31, 2009.
Submit finished print copies of books published betweenNovember 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009. Books not published by August 31 but to be published by October 31, 2009 may be submitted as bound galley proofs.
Publishers must submit four copies of each nominated title. Books will not be returned.

Selection of Shortlist

The shortlist of finalists will be announced in November, 2009 with the winner announced in Vancouver in early 2010.

Authors of shortlisted books will be brought to Vancouver, BC for the Presentation Ceremony at which the winner will be announced. The British Columbia Achievement Foundation will be responsible for the costs of author to and accommodation in Vancouver.

Conditions of the Award

Publishers of the shortlisted books will be required to provide biographies and photos of the authors and ten additional books for publicity purposes.

Publishers of the winning book agree to acknowledge receipt of the prize in advertising and promotion of the books subsequent to the award. Further, the publisher may add the British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction seal on the front jacket of the book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If my book was published in November, 2007, is it eligible for the sixth annual BC Award for Canadian Non-Fiction?
A. No, books published in November and December, 2007 were eligible for the fifth annual awards presented in February, 2009.

Q. What will be the time line for the sixth annual awards?
A. Going forward, books published between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009 will be eligible. The deadline for entries is August 31, 2009.

The submission package should be sent to:
British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
c/o 6209 Angus Drive
Vancouver, BC
V6M 3P2

For further information, please contact:
British Columbia Achievement Foundation
w. www.bcachievement.com
e. info@bcachievement.com
t. 604-261-9777

Entry deadline: August 31, 2009

DOWNLOAD

Call for Submission (pdf, 181kB)

2009 Award

2009 Award Winner

Introduction of Russell Wangersky given by Elizabeth Bachinsky

Photos from the Awards Presentation

2009 Award Finalists

What's Being Said

Media Resources

2008 Award

2008 Award Winner

Photos from the 2008 presentation ceremony