Alberta Book Awards, May 10, 2003
The Writers Guild of Alberta and the Book Publishers Association of Alberta have once again recognized and celebrated the high level of writing and publishing excellence in Alberta. At their annual awards Gala, held in Edmonton on the evening of May 10, the two organizations presented 23 awards to authors and publishers.
The event was capped with the presentation of the prestigious Grant MacEwan Author's Award of $25,000, sponsored by Alberta Community Development. Presented by Alberta Foundation for the Arts Board Member Jasbeer Singh, it is among the richest awards of its type in Canada.
Award sponsors, CBC personality Colin MacLean, publishers and writers from across Alberta celebrated with over 250 attendees.Highlights of this years awards:
• The Canadian Dictionary of ASL, twenty years in the making, wins three awards and is pronounced a "remarkable publishing achievement."
• Double nominee, Marcello Di Cintio
wins the Best First Book Award for his travelogue, Harmattan: Wind Across West Africa.
• Designer Alan Brownoff's work dominates two design categories.
• Sarah Murphy wins her first award for die tinkerbell die after being nominated five times.
• NeWest Press of Edmonton wins Publisher of the Year in their 25th anniversary year.
• Before A Blue Sky Moon by first-time author Weyman Chan wins the Poetry Award.
• Brindle & Glass Publishing, makes an "impressive showing" as Emerging Publisher of the Year.PUBLISHING SECTION
For more information on the Publishing awards, please contact Katherine Shute or Duncan Turner at (780) 424-5060.
Trade Fiction Book of the Year
The Books Collective (Edmonton):
The Memory Dress Trilogy by Ronnie BurkettTrade Non-Fiction Book of the Year
The University of Alberta Press (Edmonton):
The Canadian Dictionary of ASL
Edited by Carole Sue Bailey and Kathy DolbySilver Award
Lone Pine Publishing (Edmonton):
Reptiles of the Northwest: British Columbia
to California
by Alan St. JohnEducational Book of the Year
The University of Alberta Press (Edmonton):
The Canadian Dictionary of ASL
Edited by Carole Sue Bailey and Kathy DolbySilver Award
Duval House Publishing (Edmonton):
Medieval Times by Mary NelsonScholarly Book of the Year
The University of Alberta Press (Edmonton):
The Canadian Dictionary of ASL
Edited by Carole Sue Bailey and Kathy DolbyChildren's Book of the Year
Red Deer Press (Calgary):
Courage to Fly by Troon Harrison
Illustrated by Zhong-Yang HuangSilver Award
Red Deer Press (Calgary):
Amber Waiting by Nan Gregory
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald DentonBook Cover Design of the Year
Banff Centre Press (Banff):
Thing Feigned or Imagined: The Craft in Fiction
by Fred Stenson
Cover Design by Alan BrownoffSilver Award
The University of Alberta Press (Edmonton):
Driving Lessons: Exploring Systems That
Make Traffic Safer
edited by J. Peter Rothe
Cover Design by Alan BrownoffBook Illustration of the Year
Red Deer Press (Calgary):
Courage to Fly by Troon Harrison
Illustrated by Zhong-Yang HuangSilver Award
Red Deer Press (Calgary):
Amber Waiting by Nan Gregory
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald DentonBook Design of the Year
The University of Alberta Press (Edmonton):
Recurring Fictions by Wendy McGrath
Book Design by Alan BrownoffSilver Award
The University of Alberta Press (Edmonton):
Bloody Jack by Dennis Cooley
Book Design by Alan BrownoffEmerging Publisher of the Year
Brindle & Glass Publishing (Calgary)
Silver Award
McTavish & Nunn (Canmore)Publisher of the Year
NeWest Press (Edmonton)
WRITING SECTION
For information on the awards for writers please contact: Writers Guild of Alberta, Diane Walton (780) 422-8174 or Jason Hammond (403) 265-2226
Henry Kreisel Award for Best First Book
Harmattan: Wind Across West Africa
Marcello Di Cintio (Calgary), Insomniac PressWilfred Eggleston Award for Non-Fiction
A Promise of Salt, Lorie Miseck (Edmonton)
Coteau BooksHoward O'Hagan Award for Short Fiction
die tinkerbell die Sarah Murphy (Calgary)
Spout PublicationsGeorges Bugnet Award for Novel
the 52nd poem: a novel, Thomas Trofimuk (Edmonton)
Great Plains PublicationsGwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Drama
Mary's Wedding, Stephen Massicotte (Calgary)
Playwrights Canada PressStephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry
Before A Blue Sky Moon, Weyman Chan (Calgary)
Frontenac HouseJon Whyte Essay Competition
"Healings", Raymond Gariepy (Edmonton)The Writers Guild of Alberta and the Book Publishers Association of Alberta would like the express their sincerest thanks to the sponsors of the Alberta Book Awards: AlbertaViews, The Banff Centre, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Friesens, Hignell Book Printing, Houghton Boston, Kromar Printing, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Quality Colour Press, Transcontinental Printing, The University of Alberta Bookstore, Webcom
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