11 Charles Taylor Prize Longlisted books vie for 2012 Shortlist

Shortlist to be announced Tuesday, January 10

TORONTO, Jan. 4, 2012 /CNW/ - A news conference to announce the 2012 Finalists of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction will be held Tuesday, January 10^th at 10 a.m. at a new venue -- the RBC South Tower, 200 Bay Street, 40^th Floor Executive Lounge, Toronto.  Jurors Stevie Cameron, Susan Renouf and Allen Brandt have been reviewing their longlist (below, which was released December 12^th), and will announce the 2012 Prize Shortlist from these semi-finalists:

1. Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre, published by Douglas & McIntyre
2. Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis, published by Knopf Canada
3. The Patrol: Seven Days in the Life of a Canadian Soldier in Afghanistan by Ryan Flavelle, published by HarperCollins
4. Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe by Charlotte Gill, published by Greystone Books
5. Nation Maker: Sir John A. MacDonald: His Life, Our Times Volume Two: 1867 - 1891 by Richard Gwyn, published by Random House Canada
6. The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit by J. J. Lee, published by McClelland & Stewart
7. Facing the Hunter: Reflections on a Misunderstood Way of Life by David Adams Richards, published by Doubleday Canada
8. Why Not? Fifteen Reasons to Live by Ray Robertson, published by Biblioasis
9. Afflictions and Departures: Essays by Madeline Sonik, published by Anvil Press
10. The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A Canadian Story of Resilience and Recovery by Andrew Westoll, published by HarperCollins
11. Bad Animals: A Father's Accidental Education in Autism by Joel Yanofsky, published by Viking Canada

This year, 115 submissions competed for the Charles Taylor Prize's first ever Longlist.

The $25,000 Charles Taylor Prize is awarded annually to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception. An award of $2,000 is provided for each finalist with promotional support for each shortlisted title. The winner of the 2012 Prize will be announced on Monday, March 5th.

The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation in association with presenting sponsor, RBC Wealth Management; with support from Windfields Farm. Media partners include CNW Group, CBC Books, The Globe and Mail, and Quill & Quire. The Prize also acknowledges the generosity and support of Ben McNally Books, Chapters/Indigo Books and Music, Event Source, International Festival of Authors, KOBO, Le Meridien King Edward Hotel and The Review of Books.

For more information: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca

Issued by/Media Contacts:

Stephen Weir & Associates:

 Editors Note: Media are requested to RSVP to Stephen or Linda if planning to attend the Shortlist News Conference.