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British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
May 30, 2005
Office of the Premier
British Columbia Achievement Foundation
PATRICK LANE RECEIVES CANADIAN NON-FICTION AWARD
VANCOUVER - Patrick Lane is the first recipient of Canada's newest major
literary prize, the British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. Premier
Gordon Campbell presented Mr. Lane with the $25,000 award today in Vancouver
for his memoir There Is a Season.
"This award was established to recognize Canada's finest writers of literary
non-fiction," said Campbell. "Mr. Lane's achievements as a poet and
non-fiction writer have contributed immeasurably to Canadian literature. On
behalf of all British Columbians I offer him our warmest congratulations."
"The British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction marks the first time
that a major national book prize has originated in British Columbia," said
Keith Mitchell, the chair of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation,
which established and launched the new award. "The four finalists for this
inaugural year were simply outstanding. They represent the country's best in
literary non-fiction."
The independent jury panel for the award was also introduced today: author
Denise Chong, University of Victoria professor Lynne Van Luven, and retired
journalist Paddy Sherman.
There Is a Season is an exquisite memoir in which Lane, a passionate
gardener, explores the way his garden's life intertwines with his own. When
he gave up drinking, after years of addiction, Lane found solace and healing
in tending to his yard. Now, he relates stories of his hard early life in
the context of the landscape he's created. As he observes seasonal changes,
a plant or a bird or the way a tree bends in the wind brings to mind an
episode from his storied past.
Along with Mr. Lane, three other finalists were in the running for this
year's award: Jane Jacobs for Dark Age Ahead, Harry Thurston for A Place
Between the Tides, and Ronald Wright for A Short History of Progress.
The British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is an annual prize
established by the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, an independent
foundation endowed by the Province of British Columbia in 2003 to celebrate
excellence and achievement.
The finalists for this year's award were selected from 79 entries submitted
to the independent jury panel by 49 publishers from across Canada. To be
eligible for consideration, books had to published in Canada in English
during the 2004 calendar year, authored by a Canadian citizen or permanent
resident of Canada and submitted by the publisher.
ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT THE PRIZE
The $25,000 British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction originated in
B.C. and will be presented annually.
Eligible Books:
The first edition of the book must be published in Canada in English between
Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the preceding calendar year. A book must be published in printed form for general commercial release. Self-published books are not eligible. Only serious literary non-fiction is eligible. Such books as textbooks, how-to books, photographic books, etc. are not eligible. A book must be written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
The British Columbia Achievement Foundation was established and endowed by
the Province of British Columbia in 2003 to celebrate excellence and
achievement. It is devoted to recognizing outstanding community, creative,
intellectual, and cultural contributions and to promoting a climate of
possibility and encouragement. The foundation is independent, established with an initial endowment of $6 million from the Province of B.C. The B.C. Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is one of three awards developed by the foundation. The others are the B.C. Community Achievement Awards, which recognize those who have made a significant contribution to their community, and the B.C. Creative Achievement Awards, which recognize excellence in applied art and design. (info distributed in 2005)
Office of the Premier
British Columbia Achievement Foundation
PATRICK LANE RECEIVES CANADIAN NON-FICTION AWARD
VANCOUVER - Patrick Lane is the first recipient of Canada's newest major
literary prize, the British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. Premier
Gordon Campbell presented Mr. Lane with the $25,000 award today in Vancouver
for his memoir There Is a Season.
"This award was established to recognize Canada's finest writers of literary
non-fiction," said Campbell. "Mr. Lane's achievements as a poet and
non-fiction writer have contributed immeasurably to Canadian literature. On
behalf of all British Columbians I offer him our warmest congratulations."
"The British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction marks the first time
that a major national book prize has originated in British Columbia," said
Keith Mitchell, the chair of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation,
which established and launched the new award. "The four finalists for this
inaugural year were simply outstanding. They represent the country's best in
literary non-fiction."
The independent jury panel for the award was also introduced today: author
Denise Chong, University of Victoria professor Lynne Van Luven, and retired
journalist Paddy Sherman.
There Is a Season is an exquisite memoir in which Lane, a passionate
gardener, explores the way his garden's life intertwines with his own. When
he gave up drinking, after years of addiction, Lane found solace and healing
in tending to his yard. Now, he relates stories of his hard early life in
the context of the landscape he's created. As he observes seasonal changes,
a plant or a bird or the way a tree bends in the wind brings to mind an
episode from his storied past.
Along with Mr. Lane, three other finalists were in the running for this
year's award: Jane Jacobs for Dark Age Ahead, Harry Thurston for A Place
Between the Tides, and Ronald Wright for A Short History of Progress.
The British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is an annual prize
established by the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, an independent
foundation endowed by the Province of British Columbia in 2003 to celebrate
excellence and achievement.
The finalists for this year's award were selected from 79 entries submitted
to the independent jury panel by 49 publishers from across Canada. To be
eligible for consideration, books had to published in Canada in English
during the 2004 calendar year, authored by a Canadian citizen or permanent
resident of Canada and submitted by the publisher.
ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT THE PRIZE
The $25,000 British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction originated in
B.C. and will be presented annually.
Eligible Books:
The first edition of the book must be published in Canada in English between
Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the preceding calendar year. A book must be published in printed form for general commercial release. Self-published books are not eligible. Only serious literary non-fiction is eligible. Such books as textbooks, how-to books, photographic books, etc. are not eligible. A book must be written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
The British Columbia Achievement Foundation was established and endowed by
the Province of British Columbia in 2003 to celebrate excellence and
achievement. It is devoted to recognizing outstanding community, creative,
intellectual, and cultural contributions and to promoting a climate of
possibility and encouragement. The foundation is independent, established with an initial endowment of $6 million from the Province of B.C. The B.C. Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is one of three awards developed by the foundation. The others are the B.C. Community Achievement Awards, which recognize those who have made a significant contribution to their community, and the B.C. Creative Achievement Awards, which recognize excellence in applied art and design. (info distributed in 2005)
Submitted on August 31, 2005 in By David.
