Hon. Hilary M. Weston and the Writers' Trust Announce Finalists for $60,000 Literary Award

Literary community invited to puzzle out shortlist

TORONTO, Sept. 16, 2015 /CNW/ - The Writers' Trust of Canada announced today the five finalists for this year's Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction, the richest annual literary award for a book of nonfiction published in Canada. In a new twist, publishers and authors were invited to learn of their inclusion on the list by piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.

This year's finalists are:

• Eliott Behar for Tell It to the World: International Justice and the Secret Campaign to Hide Mass Murder in Kosovo (Dundurn Press)
• Douglas Coupland for Kitten Clone: Inside Alcatel-Lucent (Random House Canada)
• Dean Jobb for Empire of Deception: From Chicago to Nova Scotia – The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated a Nation (Harper Avenue)
• Lynette Loeppky for Cease: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Desire (Oolichan Books)
• Rosemary Sullivan for Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva (HarperCollins Canada)

Each finalist will receive $5,000. The prize winner will receive a total of $60,000.

Finalists were selected by a three-member jury composed of author and journalist Stevie Cameron, novelist and nonfiction writer Will Ferguson, and writer and broadcaster JJ Lee, who was a finalist for this prize in 2012. In total, 97 titles were submitted by 51 publishers for the 2015 prize.

"The work of a nonfiction writer is essential to our understanding of our world, our community, and ourselves," said the Hon. Hilary M. Weston. "This prize is a celebration of that work, and an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the crucial endeavours – and compelling tales – of Canada's true-storytellers-in-chief."

The nominated works are available today for download on iBooks for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac at www.itunes.com/WestonPrize.

Support for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize is provided by media partner CBC Books. Additional support is provided by Indigo Chapters.

A jigsaw puzzle revealing the nominated works can be viewed at writerstrust.com/puzzle.

Further event information and downloadable images are available at writerstrust.com

About The Hon. Hilary M. Weston, CM, OOnt

The Hon. Hilary M. Weston served as the 26th lieutenant-governor of Ontario from 1997 to 2002. As the Queen's representative in Ontario, Mrs. Weston was responsible for the Crown's constitutional and representational roles in the province. Since leaving public office, Mrs. Weston has continued to pursue her diverse interests. She led Renaissance ROM, the largest fundraising campaign in Canadian cultural history, transforming the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. She is a trustee of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and serves on the board of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Mrs. Weston is also a corporate director of Wittington Investments and Selfridges Group Ltd. She has also served as deputy chair of the board of Holt Renfrew, promoting Canadian designers in the retailing business.

Mrs. Weston founded the Ireland Fund of Canada and remains a patron of this non-denominational organization promoting peace in Ireland. Her interests in homes and gardens resulted in the publication of In a Canadian Garden (1989) and At Home in Canada (1995). She served as first chancellor of the Order of Ontario, was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 2003, and is the recipient of six honorary degrees.

About the Prize
The prize is awarded for literary excellence in the category of nonfiction, which includes, among other forms, personal or journalistic essays, history, biography, memoirs, commentary, and criticism, both social and political. Finalist works will, in the opinion of the jury, demonstrate a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and technique. This award succeeds the Writers' Trust Nonfiction Prize, which was established in 1997.

About the Writers' Trust
The Writers' Trust of Canada is a charitable organization that seeks to advance, nurture, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing through a portfolio of programs, including literary awards, financial grants, scholarships, and a writers' retreat. Writers' Trust programming is designed to champion excellence in Canadian writing, to improve the status of writers, and to create connections between writers and readers. Canada's writers receive more financial support from the Writers' Trust than from any other non-governmental organization or foundation in the country.

SOURCE The Writers' Trust of Canada

For more information and interview opportunities contact: Becky Toyne, 416-871-0502, [email protected]