16th annual Donner Prize shortlist announced

Five books on diverse policy issues compete for $50,000 prize

TORONTO, April 2, 2014 /CNW/ - The five books vying for the 2013/2014 Donner Prize, the award for best public policy book by a Canadian, were announced today by Allan Gotlieb, Chairman of the Donner Canadian Foundation.

"These five finalists deserve recognition for the significant contributions and compelling recommendations they make regarding some of Canada's major policy challenges," said Mr. Gotlieb.

"This year's nominated titles highlight diverse and timely policy issues," said Jury Chair A. Anne McLellan. She went on to say, "From a dissection of the Canadian pension system to an analysis of youth cultural production, from issues of sovereignty and security in the Arctic, to a criticism of the administrative justice system, to the revolution in television brought about by digital technology, these titles deliver fresh insights and bold recommendations to current public policy challenges."

The prestigious Donner Prize, established in 1998, annually rewards excellence and innovation in public policy writing by Canadians. In bestowing this award, the Donner Canadian Foundation seeks to broaden policy debates, increase general awareness of the importance of policy decision making, and make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse. The 2013/2014 shortlist titles were chosen from a field of 80 submissions; the winner receives $50,000 while each other nominated title will receive $7,500.

The winner of this year's Donner Prize will be announced at an awards ceremony in Toronto on Wednesday, April 30, 2014.  The ceremony will be hosted by Don Newman, Chairman, Canada 2020.

The 2013/2014 Donner Prize finalists are:

• International Law and the Arctic by Michael Byers (Cambridge University Press)
• Out of the Basement: Youth Cultural Production in Practice and in Policy by Miranda Campbell (McGill-Queen's University Press)
• Unjust by Design: Canada's Administrative Justice System by Ron Ellis (UBC Press)
• The Third Rail: Confronting Our Pension Failures by Jim Leech and Jacquie McNish (Signal)
• Shut Off: The Canadian Digital Television Transition by Gregory Taylor (McGill-Queen's University Press)

Shortlisted authors are available for comment and interview.

The 2013/2014 Donner Prize Shortlist

International Law and the Arctic by Michael Byers (Cambridge University Press)

Climate change and rising oil prices have thrust the Arctic to the top of the foreign policy agenda and raised difficult issues of sovereignty, security and environmental protection. Refuting the widespread misconception that the Arctic is an unregulated zone of potential conflict, Byers instead illustrates a strong trend towards international cooperation and law-making. This book is an accessible but thoroughly comprehensive analysis of issues in the Arctic, written with passion and deep knowledge of the subject.

Michael Byers is a Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia.

***

Out of the Basement: Youth Cultural Production in Practice and in Policy by Miranda Campbell (McGill-Queen's University Press)

Out of the Basement considers what has—or has not—changed as youth attempt to make a living from creative works, revealing how existing policies can impede small-scale cultural production. Moving between structures designed to support creative life and the initiatives taken by young people in the absence of such structures, Out of the Basement calls for more awareness and support of youth creative enterprise. Campbell's work is a highly original and well-timed analysis of the rise of small-scale creative employment.

Miranda Campbell is professor of English at Dawson College.

***

Unjust by Design: Canada's Administrative Justice System by Ron Ellis (UBC Press)

Unjust by Design describes a system in need of major restructuring: failing to conform to rule-of-law principles or constitutional norms, Canada's judicial tribunals are neither independent nor, in law, impartial, and only providentially competent. Ellis tackles exceptionally important issues, not only expertly defining the problem, but also providing a solution in the form of detailed blueprints for a restructured system. A thought-provoking read, Unjust by Design presents a powerful perspective on a subject that is important for all Canadians.

Ron Ellis is an administrative law lawyer, teacher, academic, arbitrator, and former chair and CEO of a major administrative judicial tribunal.

***

The Third Rail: Confronting Our Pension Failures by Jim Leech and Jacquie McNish (Signal)

Over the next 20 years more than seven million Canadian workers will retire. The Third Rail posits that unless our crumbling pension system is reformed, many of these retirees will find the retirement dream a bewildering and disappointing mirage. Leech and McNish break the silence on this "ticking time bomb" subject, and have written a prescriptive, accessible book that deserves to be read by all demographics, from incoming retirees to the young generation just entering the workforce.

Jim Leech is the former President and CEO of the Ontario Teachers' Pension. Jacquie McNish is a senior writer for The Globe and Mail and a regular host on the Business News Network.

***

Shut Off: The Canadian Digital Television Transition by Gregory Taylor (McGill-Queen's University Press)

The history of the digital transition is one of great scientific achievement, expensive failures, and significant political and industrial power struggles. Taylor provides an insightful assessment of a period of technological and economic upheaval in Canadian broadcasting, revealing how digital broadcasting has been the site of dramatic change in the political economy of Canadian media. A strong study that presents the reader with surprising messages, Shut Off challenges old thought and encourages new perspectives on an important subject.

Gregory Taylor is a post-doctoral fellow at Ryerson University.

SOURCE: Donner Canadian Foundation

Sherry Naylor, Prize Manager, Phone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected], www.donnerbookprize.com