Jury Recognizes a Dozen Excellent Works of Literary Non-Fiction, Just in Time for the Holidays
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Jurors John English, Ann MacMillan, and Colin McAdam today announced the longlist for the sixteenth RBC Taylor Prize. They read 101 books written by Canadian authors and submitted by 29 Canadian and international publishers.
"Each of these titles represents a contribution: whether it is to knowledge, to how we understand ourselves, or to how we might make sense of our complicated planet. As a whole, this list reveals a world of war, survival, art, whales, and wireless connectivity—people playing games and people suffering harm. We applaud these authors who devoted such energy, scholarship, and sympathy to their subjects. All of these books should be read," the jury notes.
The longlist for the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize is as follows:
1. Waiting for First Light: My Ongoing Battle with PTSD by Romeo Dallaire (Ottawa, ON), published by Random House Canada
2. By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz by Max Eisen (Toronto, ON), published by HarperCollins Canada
3. Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier's Story of a Forgotten War by Matti Friedman (Jerusalem), published by Algonquin Books
4. An Intimate Wilderness: Arctic Voices in a Land of Vast Horizons by Norman Hallendy (Carp, ON), published by Greystone Books
5. Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies by Ross King (Oxford, England), published by Bond Street Books
6. The Killer Whale Who Changed the World by Mark Leiren-Young (Vancouver, BC), published by Greystone Books
7. Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World by Marc Raboy (Montreal, QC), published by Oxford University Press
8. Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend, by Dan Robson (Toronto, ON), published by Penguin Random House Canada
9. Wait Time: A Memoir of Cancer by Kenneth Sherman (Toronto, ON), published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press
10. This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Love, Prison, and Other Complications by Diane Schoemperlen (Kingston, ON), published by HarperCollins Canada
11. Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve by Alexandra Shimo (Toronto, ON), published by Dundurn Press
12. A World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905 by Bill Waiser (Saskatoon, SK), published by Fifth House Books
Noreen Taylor, chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation and founder of the Prize, commented: "Having read a number of titles that do not appear on this list (as well as a number that do appear), I know that the jury faced a difficult task in winnowing down the 101 submissions to produce this longlist. Knowing the quality of the titles I have already read, I will now look forward to reading my way through this select group of twelve books. Personally, I cannot imagine a better way to spend December!"
Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, added: "I echo Noreen's comments. Every year, I am truly amazed at the number of submissions the jury reviews in order to choose the titles for that year's longlist—their effort is nothing short of incredible. And once again, they did a stellar job as this year's list contains an impressive range of books. If you are not sure what to read over the holidays, these twelve books are the place to start."
Key Dates:
The RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, January 11, and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday, March 6, 2017.
About The RBC Taylor Prize
The RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Established biennially in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation, 2017 marks the sixteenth awarding of the RBC Taylor Prize, which commemorates Charles Taylor's pursuit of excellence in the field of literary non-fiction.
Awarded to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception, the Prize consists of $25,000 for the winner and $2,000 for each of the remaining finalists, as well as promotional support to help all of the nominated books to stand out in the media, bookstores, and libraries. All authors are presented with a custom leather bound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony.
Rosemary Sullivan won the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize for her book Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva, published by HarperCollins Canada. Ms Sullivan selected Adnan Khan as the third recipient of the RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer Award, which was established in 2013 to provide recognition and assistance to a Canadian published author who is working on a significant writing project in literary non-fiction.
The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are Michael Bradley, Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor.
The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, CNW Group, The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean's magazine, Quill & Quire magazine, and SiriusXM; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library Board.
To download high-resolution images of the longlisted authors and their book covers please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2017/rbctp_2017_longlist_covers_and_authors.zip
To download high-resolution images of the trustees and the jury please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2017/2017_trustees_and_jury.zip
For general information about the Prize please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca.
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SOURCE RBC Taylor Prize
Image with caption: "12 books on the RBC Taylor Prize Longlist on the shelves of Ben McNally's bookstore in Toronto! (CNW Group/RBC Taylor Prize)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161201_C6082_PHOTO_EN_828520.jpg
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