The Atlantic Book Awards took place last night, June 6th, in St. John’s Newfoundland. Here’s the list of all the categories and nominated books and authors. The books I’ve read are linked to my reviews. As well, there are several links that will take you to books read and reviewed at The Miramichi Reader.
Twenty-three of the thirty-nine nominations are for books published by Atlantic publishers. Nova Scotia’s Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press leads with twelve shortlisted titles, while Pottersfield Publishing (also from NS) has four. Other regional publishers include Fernwood Publishing/Roseway (NS), Boularderie Island Press and Breton Books (Cape Breton), Boulder Books (NL) and Gaspereau Press (NS).
2019 ATLANTIC BOOK AWARDS and FESTIVAL SHORTLIST
1. Alistair MacLeod Prize for Short Fiction
Some Days Run Long by Bill Conall (Boularderie Island Press)
Something for Everyone by Lisa Moore (House of Anansi Press)
Tiger, Tiger by Johanna Skibsrud (Hamish Hamilton)
Winner of the Alistair MacLeod Prize for Short Fiction
2. Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children’s Literature
Short for Chameleon by Vicki Grant (HarperCollins Publishers)
Finding Grace by Daphne Greer (Nimbus Publishing)
Catching the Light by Susan Sinnott (Vagrant Press – a Nimbus imprint)
Winner of the Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children’s Literature
3. Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association Best Atlantic-Published Book Award Sponsored by Friesens Corporation
Viola Desmond: Her Life and Times by Graham Reynolds and Wanda Robson (Roseway Publishing)
Saltwater Mittens from the Island of Newfoundland: More than 20 heritage designs to knit by Christine LeGrow & Shirley A. Scott (Boulder Books)
Hope Blooms: Plant a Seed, Harvest a Dream by Mamadou Wade and the youth of Hope Blooms (Nimbus Publishing)
Winner of the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association Best Atlantic-Published Book Award
4. Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing, Sponsored by Marquis Book Printing
The Age of Increasing Inequality: The Astonishing Rise of Canada’s 1% by Lars Osberg (Lorimer)
The Tides of Time: A Nova Scotia Book of Seasons by Suzanne Stewart (Pottersfield Press)
There’s Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities by Ingrid R. G. Waldron (Fernwood Publishing)
Winner of the Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing
5. Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing
A Stone for Andrew Dunphy by Ronald Caplan (Breton Books)
Where Duty Lies: A New Brunswick Soldier in the Trenches of World War 1 by John Cunningham (Pottersfield Press)
The Blind Mechanic: The Amazing Story of Eric Davidson, Survivor of the 1917 Halifax Explosion by Marilyn Davidson Elliott(Nimbus Publishing)
Winner of the Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing
6. Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award
Notes for the Everlost: A Field Guide to Grief by Kate Inglis (Shambhala Publications)
No Place to Go: How Public Toilets Fail Our Private Needs by Lezlie Lowe (Coach House Books)
Following the River: Traces of Red River Women by Lorri Neilsen Glenn (Wolsak and Wynn Publishers Ltd.)
Winner of the Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award
7. Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award (Fiction), presented by Boyne Clarke LLP
A Circle on the Surface by Carol Bruneau (Vagrant Press – a Nimbus imprint)
Beholden by Lesley Crewe (Vagrant Press – a Nimbus imprint)
In the Wake by Nicola Davison (Vagrant Press – a Nimbus imprint)
Winner of the Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award (Fiction)
8. J.M. Abraham Poetry Award
Ruba’iyat for the Time of Apricots by Basma Kavanagh (Frontenac House)
No Meeting Without Body by Annick MacAskill (Gaspereau Press)
This Kind of Thinking Does No Good by Alison Smith (Gaspereau Press)
Winner of the J.M. Abraham Poetry Award
9. Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration
Illustrator: Eva Campbell (nominee) for Africville
Written by Shauntay Grant (Groundwood Books)
Illustrator: Lil Crump (nominee) for Anna at the Art Museum
Written by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert (Annick Press)
Illustrator: Alan Syliboy (nominee) for Mi’kmaw Animals/Mi’kmaw Waisisk
Written by Alan Syliboy (Nimbus Publishing)
Winner of the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration
10. Margaret and John Savage First Book Award – Non-Fiction sponsored by Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, Sensor Technology Ltd., Heritage House Law Office, I Love Renovations and Simply Sage Solutions
Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Memoir by Mark Critch (Viking Canada)
No Place To Go: How Public Toilets Fail Our Private Needs by Lezlie Lowe (Coach House Books)
Louisbourg or Bust: A Surfer’s Wild Ride Down Nova Scotia’s Drowned Coast by R. C. Shaw (Pottersfield Press)
Winner of the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award – Non-Fiction
11. Margaret and John Savage First Book Award – Fiction sponsored by Royden Trainor, Weed Man Maritimes and the family of John and Margaret Savage
The Boat People by Sharon Bala (McClelland & Stewart)
In The Wake by Nicola Davison (Vagrant Press – a Nimbus imprint)
Catching the Light by Susan Sinnott (Vagrant Press – a Nimbus imprint)
Winner of the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award (Fiction)
12. Robbie Robertson Dartmouth Book Award (Non-fiction), presented by the Kiwanis Club of Dartmouth
The Blind Mechanic: The Amazing Story of Eric Davidson, Survivor of the 1917 Halifax Explosion by Marilyn Davidson Elliott (Nimbus Publishing)
First Degree: From Medical School to Murder by Kayla Hounsell (Nimbus Publishing)
Threads in the Acadian Fabric: Nine Generations of an Acadian Family by Simone Poirier-Bures (Pottersfield Press)
Winner of the Robbie Robertson Dartmouth Book Award (Non-fiction)
13. Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award
The Boat People by Sharon Bala(McClelland & Stewart)
Hysteria by Elisabeth de Mariaffi (HarperCollins Publishers)
Something for Everyone by Lisa Moore (House of Anansi Press)
Winner of the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award
Special Lifetime Achievement Award:
Atlantic Book Awards’ Pioneer Award– Tom Dawe
“Newfoundlander Tom Dawe was awarded the Pioneer Award. This lifetime achievement recognizes Dawe’s contributions to the literary community in Newfoundland, including founding the province’s first publisher Breakwater Books.” —CBC Books
Congratulations to all the winners and shortlisted books, publishers and authors/illustrators!
Interested in last year’s winners? Check out Atlantic Book Awards 2018!
Consumed by Ink 
Well done, Naomi. Thanks for sharing my links, too! 😁 (I think Mark Critch had the celebrity edge in his category.)
I haven’t read it, so I don’t know. But it would have to be really good for me to like it more than I liked Louisbourg or Bust!
Do you think you’ll read any here that you haven’t already?
There’s Something in the Water and Where Duty Lies are two that I would have liked to read. My wife read Critch’s book and liked it. These types of celeb books are kind of “throw-away” reads. Kinda like an episode of 22 Minutes. Entertaining at the time, but ultimately forgettable. 😉 I don’t have of the other books in my TBR stack. I’m heading towards fall 2019 releases now.
I don’t tend to read celebrity books, so I probably won’t ever get to it. I would like to read There’s Something in the Water!
I’ve read two of the nominees! Notes for the Everlost and The Boat People.
And Notes for the Everlost won the Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award!
I was a little surprised that The Boat People didn’t win anything, but it was up against some good fiction. I would have had a hard time choosing, if it had been me!
I thought Lisa Moore’s Something for Everyone was the best collection of short stories I have read in ages.
It was pretty incredible! So deserving of its awards.
So great to see that collection of stories by Lisa Moore acknowledged. She’s built such an impressive body of work. But as much as I admired her collection, I have to admit that I’m itching for another longer work by her now. (Thanks to Flannery, which was longer, but still YA.) I also was pleased to see that the Carol Bruneau novel won – although I’ve only read other stuff by hers, nothing recent. Soon, soon, soon. (As usual.)
I think I read that Lisa Moore has another novel coming soon… I think… unless it’s just wishful thinking. 🙂
I so appreciate your focus on Atlantic books Naomi-it helps fill that gap in my knowledge. I loved Lisa Moore’s book so no surprise she won two awards! And how great is it that a knitting book won an award too? We have Alberta Literary Awards too-they were also given out this past weekend 😉
That knitting book makes me wish I was still knitting. But I just don’t have time for knitting AND reading.
I’ll have to go check out the results of the Alberta Lit Awards!
Oh right, Homes is on there! Did it win?
I’ve never heard of The Comedian… And The Little Yellow House book is there, which I think looks so appealing.
I know how you feel-I don’t have time for reading AND watching tv-so obviously books win out.