Writers' Trust Announces First Fiction-Prize Shortlists of the Season

Global stories, Canadian perspectives - indie presses dominate pack

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2012 /CNW/ - This morning in Toronto, the Writers' Trust of Canada revealed the finalists for two fiction prizes. The announcement was made at Ben McNally Books.

The five finalists for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, recognizing writers of the year's best novel or short story collection, were announced by Jan Innes, vice president, government relations, Rogers Communications, along with writer and prize juror Drew Hayden Taylor; the three finalists for the Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize, recognizing new and developing writers for the best short story first published in a Canadian literary journal during the previous year, were announced by novelist Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer.

Both prizes, along with four additional awards for a body of work, will be presented on November 7 at the 12th annual Writers' Trust Awards event in Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre. Total prize money presented that night will amount to $114,000.

Finalists for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize:

• Tim Bowling, The Tinsmith (Brindle & Glass Publishing)
• Tamas Dobozy, Siege 13 (Thomas Allen Publishers)
• Rawi Hage, Carnival (House of Anansi Press)
• Alix Ohlin, Inside (House of Anansi Press)
• Linda Spalding, The Purchase (McClelland & Stewart)

Each of the five finalists will receive $2,500, with the eventual prizewinner receiving a total of $25,000. The finalists were chosen by a jury of Lynn Coady, Esi Edugyan, and Drew Hayden Taylor. They read 116 books from 45 publishers. The prize is sponsored by Rogers Communications Inc.

Finalists for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize will be reading at the International Festival of Authors in Toronto on October 24 and in Owen Sound, Ontario, on October 25.

Finalists for the Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize:

• Kevin Hardcastle, "To Have to Wait" (The Malahat Review)
• Andrew Hood, "Manning" (PRISM international)
• Alex Pugsley, "Crisis on Earth-X" (The Dalhousie Review)

Each of the three finalists will receive $1,000, with the eventual prizewinner receiving a total of $10,000, and the journal that originally published the winning entry receiving $2,000. The finalists were chosen by a jury of Michael Christie, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, and Kathleen Winter. They read 82 stories from 28 journals. The prize is made possible by James A. Michener's donation of his Canadian royalty earnings from his 1988 novel Journey. In association with the prize, McClelland & Stewart has just published the 2012 edition of the annual fiction anthology The Journey Prize Stories, a collection of the 13 stories that formed the longlist for this year's prize.

"Fiction has a powerful ability to transport readers to different worlds and reveal our hopes, dreams, and fears," said Peter Kahnert, Writers' Trust Chair and senior vice-president, Raymond James Ltd. "The Writers' Trust is proud to recognize this year's diverse range of nominees and add their names to the growing list of great Canadian writers we have the good fortune to celebrate."

High-resolution images of the finalists and their nominated books are available for download at writerstrust.com.

To facilitate the promotion of the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize nominated books, an online catalogue for retailers has been created through BookNet Canada's CataList program: http://bnccatalist.ca/ViewCatalogue.aspx?id=1250.

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.

About the Writers' Trust Awards
An annual event awarding $114,000 to Canadian writers, the Writers' Trust Awards evening is one of the richest prize-giving nights in Canada. Shelagh Rogers, host of CBC Radio One's The Next Chapter, will emcee this year's festivities in Toronto on November 7, 2012. Four additional prizes for a body of work will be presented at the ceremony:

• Matt Cohen Award: In Celebration of a Writing Life ($20,000)
• Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature ($20,000)
• Writers' Trust Distinguished Contribution Award
• Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award ($25,000)

The Writers' Trust Awards are made possible through generous support from corporate, foundation, and individual sponsors. As a media partner, The Globe and Mail provides additional support. The project is partially funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Book Fund.

SOURCE: The Writers' Trust of Canada

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