Mayor David Miller congratulates Mark Sinnett - winner of the 2010 Toronto
Book Award

TORONTO, Oct. 14 /CNW/ -  Mark Sinnett was named the winner of the 2010 Toronto Book Award for his novel The Carnivore (ECW Press) tonight at a reception at Toronto Reference Library's Appel Salon.

"I want to congratulate Mark Sinnett for his exceptional novel The Carnivore," said Mayor David Miller. "His book gives a unique perspective about our diverse city and was selected from more than 70 book submissions. All of these authors tell great stories about Toronto and can be incredibly proud of their work."

Toronto Public Library's City Librarian Jane Pyper commented, "The Carnivore is a captivating story of how memories can shape and define a marriage. Readers will also enjoy the evocative descriptions of a 1954 Toronto caught in the maelstrom of Hurricane Hazel."

The 2010 Toronto Book Awards Committee, made up of members Marsha Chesley, Alexander Greer, Angela Rebeiro, Kristine Thornley, and Karen Tisch, volunteered their time to read all of the books and select the shortlist and winner. They commented on how "Sinnett takes what would be a cliché in lesser hands - Hurricane Hazel's devastation of Toronto in 1954 yoked to an affair that silently undermines a young marriage - to produce a novel of adventure and sorrow. Sinnett's taut prose, sense of the era and the city, and ear for the words and silences of a marriage brings the storm, the city, and the characters fully to life."

Mark Sinnett's other work includes The Landing (Carleton University Press, 1997), poetry, winner of the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award; Bull (Insomniac Press, 1998), short stories; Some Late Adventure Of The Feelings (ECW Press, 2000), poetry; and The Border Guards (Harper Collins, 2004), a novel/thriller, short-listed for the Arthur Ellis award. He lives in Kingston, Ontario. His work was chosen from a list of finalists that included Seán Cullen for his novel The Prince of Neither Here Nor There (Puffin Canada); Cary Fagan, for his novel Valentine's Fall (Cormorant Books Inc.); Lauren Kirshner, for her novel Where We Have to Go (McClelland & Stewart Ltd.), and Dragan Todorovic for his novel Diary of Interrupted Days (Random House Canada).

This year marks the 36^th anniversary of the Toronto Book Awards. Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the Toronto Book Awards honour authors of books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto. The annual awards offer $15,000 in prize money. Each finalist will receive $1,000 and the winning author receives the remaining prize money. For more information about the awards and what the jury members said about all of the books, visit http://www.toronto.ca/book_awards.

The Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library system. Every year, more than 17.5 million people visit its 99 branches and borrow more than 31 million items. To learn more about the Toronto Public Library, visit the website at http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca or call the Answerline at 416-393-7131.

Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents. For information about non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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For further information:

Media contacts:
Bev Kurmey, Protocol Officer, City Clerk's Office, 416-392-7805 (office), 416-892-8646 (cell),[email protected]
Michaela Cornell, Toronto Book Awards Publicist, 647-274-6112,[email protected]
Tina Srebotnjak, Manager, Program Development, Toronto Public Library, 416-393-7098,[email protected]