The annual Basil Stuart-Stubbs Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Book on British Columbia, sponsored by UBC Library and the Pacific BookWorld News Society, recognizes the best scholarly book published on a BC subject by a Canadian author.

The Basil Stuart-Stubbs Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Book on British Columbia was established in memory of Basil Stuart-Stubbs, a bibliophile, scholar and librarian who passed away in 2012. Stuart-Stubbs's many accomplishments included serving as the University Librarian at UBC Library and as the Director of UBC's School of Library, Archival and Information Studies. Stuart-Stubbs had a leadership role in many national and regional library and publishing activities. During his exceptional career, he took particular interest in the production and distribution of Canadian books, and was associated with several initiatives beneficial to authors and their readers, and to Canadian publishing.

Three books that reflect the compelling culture, geography and history of British Columbia are featured in the inaugural shortlist for a new award focused on scholarly works.

The three shortlisted titles for 2012 are:

•Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page by Sandra Djwa (McGill-Queen's University Press). This book explores the life of P.K. Page, an accomplished poet, painter, fiction writer, children's author and essayist who spent much of her life in Victoria;
•British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas by Derek Hayes (Douglas & McIntyre). The atlas employs a wide range of maps, photos, prints and drawings that illustrate the development of BC; and,
•Father August Brabant: Saviour or Scourge? by Jim McDowell (Ronsdale Press). This is a study of the first colonial missionary to live among the Nuu-Chah-Nulth peoples on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The recipient will be announced by April 2013. The inaugural prize, worth $1,000, will be awarded at a reception on May 7, 2013 at UBC's Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.

By Glenn Drexhage on March 5, 2013