Feature Story
Last night, local writers were recognized for their artistic talents and creativity at the 38th annual Ottawa Book Awards. The event was held at the Meridian Theatre and hosted by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
Since 1985, the Ottawa Book Awards have recognized the top English and French books published in the previous year. Both languages have categories for fiction and non-fiction. All shortlisted finalists receive a $1000 prize and each winner receives $7500. Once again, the jury was impressed by the level of quality of the submissions.
Jean Van Loon received English fiction award for her collection of poems Nuclear Family (McGill-Queen's University Press). Tim Cook received the English non-fiction prize for his work Lifesavers and Body Snatchers: Medical Care and the Struggle for Survival in the Great War (Penguin Random House Canada).
The Prix du livre d’Ottawa award for French fiction went to Nancy Vickers for her novel Capharnaüm (Les Éditions David). Maurice Henrie received the Prix du livre d’Ottawa for non-fiction for La tête haute (Les Presses de l'Université d'Ottawa).
Arc Poetry Magazine presented Conyer Clayton with the 2023 Archibald Lampman Award for her book But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves (Anvil Press) as the year’s best work of poetry.
The Association des auteures et auteurs de l’Ontario français presented the Prix littéraire Émergence AAOF 2023 to Alexis Rodrigue-Lafleur for Rêve-Creux (Les Éditions L’Interligne).
Winning books were selected by a jury of peers. More information about the Ottawa Book Awards, including jury statements, author biographies, and a full list of this year’s nominees is available at ottawa.ca.
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