Five books that reflect Vancouver’s unique character, culture and history have been selected as finalists for the 2014 City of Vancouver Book Award.
The 26th annual City of Vancouver Book Award will be presented at the Mayor’s Arts Awards ceremony at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre on October 7, 2014.
The books on this year’s shortlist cover a range of genres: fiction, non-fiction, short stories, poetry, and biography. Each book offers an original perspective on Vancouver’s diversity. The 2014 finalists are:
Bruce Grierson for What makes Olga Run? (Random House), a creative non-fiction work that focuses on the extraordinary achievements of an athlete who began a championship track career at the age of 77.
Doretta Lau for How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? (Nightwood Editions), a witty and imaginative volume of short stories that offers perspectives on what it means to be Canadian from children and grandchildren of immigrants, adoptees, and multiracial adults.
Ashley Little for Anatomy of a Girl Gang (Arsenal Pulp Press), an intense and surprising novel that describes strong girls who, while deeply troubled, are agents of their own destinies.
Billeh Nickerson for Artificial Cherry (Arsenal Pulp Press), a collection of pieces from a poet which plays with pop culture references and deconstructs the everyday into resonant moments.
David Stouk for Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life (Douglas & McIntyre), a narrative about an iconic local figure that provides a peccadillos-and-all portrait of the man, his milieu and accomplishments.
The five shortlisted titles were chosen by an independent jury that included: Elee Kraljii Gardener, an award-winning poet and director of the Thursdays Writing Collective; Anna Ling Kaye, editor of Ricepaper magazine; and Jordan Abel, editor for Poetry Is Dead magazine and the former poetry editor for PRISM international.
Alma Lee, founder and former artistic director of the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival, served as chair.
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