City of Vancouver Book Award

The City of Vancouver Book Award is a Canadian literary award, that has been presented annually by the city of Vancouver, British Columbia to one or more works of literature judged as the year's best fiction, non-fiction, poetry or drama work about the city.

As with the City of Toronto Book Award, the award may go to one or more books.

The award has a monetary value of $3,000. The prize is funded by interest earned from the city's publishing reserve, which was established in 1977 as a permanent legacy for writers and publishers. The fund received royalties generated from Vancouver's First Century: A Photo History of Vancouver, edited by city staff. The third edition of the book, renamed Vancouver: A City Album, for many years generated royalty payments for the fund.

Honorees

City of Vancouver Book Award winners and finalists[1]
Year Author Title Result Ref.
1989[a] Paul Yee Saltwater City: An Illustrated History of the Chinese in Vancouver Winner
1990 Sky Lee Disappearing Moon Cafe Winner
Rosemary Brown Being Brown: A Very Public Life Finalist
Stan Persky Buddy's: Meditations on Desire Finalist
John Schreiner The Refiners: A Century of BC Sugar Finalist
1991[b] Michael Kluckner Vanishing Vancouver Winner
Cyril Leonoff Leonard Frank: An Enterprising Life Finalist
Robin Ward Robin Ward's Vancouver Finalist
1992[c] Gerald Straley Trees of Vancouver: A Guide to the Common and Unusual Trees of the City Winner
Elizabeth Bower No Forwarding Address Finalist
Gregory Edwards Hidden Cities Finalist
Paul Grescoe Flesh Wound Finalist
Timothy Oke and Graeme Wynn Vancouver and Its Regions Finalist
1993[d] Bruce Macdonald Vancouver: A Visual History Winner
Irene Howard The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia Finalist
Michael Kluckner and John Atkin Heritage Walks Around Vancouver Finalist
1994[e] Denise Chong The Concubine's Children Winner
Paul Grescoe and Karl Spreitz Vancouver: Visions of a City Finalist
Robin Ward Robin Ward's Heritage West Coast Finalist
Michael J. Yates Line Screw Finalist
1995[f] Elspeth Cameron Earle Birney: A Life Winner
Lois Simmie and Cynthia Nugent Mister Got to Go Finalist
Ulli Stelzer and Robert Davidson Eagle Transforming: The Art of Robert Davidson Finalist
1996[g] Wayson Choy The Jade Peony Winner
Grant Buday Monday Night Man Finalist
Robert A. J. McDonald Making Vancouver: Class, Status & Social Boundaries 1863-1913 Finalist
1997[h] Rhodri Windsor Liscombe The New Spirit: Modern Architecture in Vancouver, 1938-1963 Winner
John A. Cherrington Vancouver at the Dawn: A Turn-of-the-Century Portrait Finalist
Fred Thirkell and Bob Scullion Postcards from the Past: Edwardian Images of Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Finalist
1998[i] Chuck Davis The Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopaedia Winner
Betty O'Keefe and Ian Macdonald The Mulligan Affair: Top Cop on the Take Finalist
Carmen Rodríguez And a Body to Remember With Finalist
1999[j] Bud Osborn Keys to Kingdoms Winner
Shawn Blore and the editors of Vancouver Magazine Vancouver: Secrets of the City Finalist
Grant Buday White Lung Finalist
2000[k] Lilia D'Acres and Donald Luxton Lions Gate Winner
Christine Allen and Collin Varner Gardens of Vancouver Finalist
Wayson Choy Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood Finalist
Wing Chung Ng The Chinese in Vancouver: The Pursuit of Identity and Power, 1945-80 Finalist
2001[l] Madeleine Thien Simple Recipes Winner
Douglas Coupland City of Glass: Douglas Coupland's Vancouver Finalist
Timothy Taylor Stanley Park Finalist
Gary Wyatt (ed.) Susan Point: Coast Salish Artist Finalist
2002[m] Keith Carlson A Sto:lo-Coast Salish Historical Atlas Winner
Doreen Armitage Burrard Inlet: A History Finalist
Bart Campbell The Door is Open: Memoir of a Soup Kitchen Volunteer Finalist
Cynthia Flood Making a Stone of the Heart Finalist
2003[n] Lincoln Clarkes, Ken Dietrich-Campbell, Patricia Canning and Elaine Allan Heroines Winner
Reid Shier (ed.) Stan Douglas: Every Building on 100 Block West Hastings Winner
John J. Clague and Bob Turner Vancouver, City on the Edge: Living with a Dynamic Geological Landscape Finalist
Fiona Tinwei Lam Intimate Distances Finalist
2004[o] Daniel Francis L.D.: Mayor Louis Taylor and the Rise of Vancouver Winner
Annabel Lyon The Best Thing for You Finalist
Paul Yee The Bone Collector's Son Finalist
Caroline Adderson Sitting Practice Honourable mention
John Punter The Vancouver Achievement: Urban Planning and Design Honourable mention
Maggie de Vries Missing Sarah: A Vancouver Woman Remembers Her Vanished Sister Honourable mention
2005[p] Lance Berelowitz Dream City: Vancouver and the Global Imagination Winner
Wayson Choy All That Matters Finalist
Leslie Robertson and Dara Culhane (eds.) In Plain Sight: Reflections on Life in Downtown Eastside Vancouver Finalist
Various The Vancouver Stories: West Coast Fiction from Canada's Best Writers Finalist
2006[q] Jean Barman Stanley Park's Secret: The Forgotten Families of Whoi Whoi, Kanaka Ranch, and Brockton Point Winner
James P. Delgado Waterfront: The Illustrated Maritime History of Greater Vancouver Winner
Derek Hayes Historical Atlas of Vancouver and the Lower Fraser Valley Finalist
Abraham J. Rogatnick, Ian M. Thom, and Adele Weder B.C. Binning Finalist
2007[r] Michael Kluckner Vancouver Remembered Winner
Grant Arnold and Michael Turner Fred Herzog: Vancouver Photographs Finalist
Anita Rau Badami Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? Finalist
Brett Josef Grubisic The Age of Cities Finalist
2008[s] Brad Cran and Gillian Jerome Hope in Shadows: Stories and Photographs of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Winner
Gary Geddes Falsework Finalist
Eve Lazarus At Home With History: The Untold Secrets of Greater Vancouver's Heritage Homes Finalist
Kaija Pepper The Man Next Door Dances: The Art of Peter Bingham Finalist
2009[t] Lee Henderson The Man Game Winner
Gabor Maté In the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts Finalist
Meredith Quartermain Nightmarker Finalist
2010[u] Bruce Grenville and Scott Steedman Visions of British Columbia Winner
George Bowering The Box Finalist
Matt Hern Common Ground in a Liquid City Finalist
Chris MacDonald A Guidebook to Contemporary Architecture in Vancouver Finalist
2011[v] Michael Christie The Beggar's Garden: Stories Winner
Lynne Bowen Whoever Gives Us Bread: The Story of Italians in British Columbia Finalist [2]
Wayde Compton After Canaan: Essays on Race, Writing, and Region Finalist [2]
Lesley McKnight Vancouver Kids Finalist [2]
2012[w] W. H. New YVR Winner
John Mikhail Asfour and Elee Kraljii Gardiner (eds.) V6A: Writing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Finalist [3]
Claudia Cornwall At the World's Edge: Curt Lang's Vancouver Finalist [3]
Ali Kazimi Undesirables: White Canada and the Komagata Maru Finalist [3]
Jen Sookfong Lee The Better Mother Finalist [3]
2013[x] Amber Dawn How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler's Memoir Winner [4]
Jancis M. Andrews The Ballad of Mrs. Smith Finalist
Brad Cran Ink on Paper Finalist
Harold Kalman and Robin Ward Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide Finalist
Sean Kheraj Inventing Stanley Park: An Environmental History Finalist
2014[y] David Stouck Arthur Erickson: An Architect's Life Winner
Bruce Grierson What Makes Olga Run? Finalist [5]
Doretta Lau How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? Finalist [5]
Ashley Little Anatomy of a Girl Gang: A Novel Finalist [5]
Billeh Nickerson Artificial Cherry Finalist [5]
2015[z] Wayde Compton The Outer Harbour: Stories Winner [6][7]
Aaron Chapman Live at the Commodore: The Story of Vancouver's Historic Commodore Ballroom Finalist
Bren Simmers Hastings-Sunrise: Poems Finalist
Lois Simmie and Cynthia Nugent Mister Got To Go, Where Are You? Finalist
2016[aa] Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, Karen Duffek, and Tania Willard Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories Winner [8]
Wayde Compton and Renée Sarojini Saklikar (eds.) The Revolving City: 51 Poems and the Stories Behind Them Finalist [9]
Lorimer Shenher That Lonely Section of Hell: The Botched Investigation of a Serial Killer Who Almost Got Away Finalist [9]
2017 Carleigh Baker Bad Endings Winner [10]
Grant Arnold, Ian M. Thom, Susan Point, Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse, Thomas Cannell, Myrtle McKay, and William McLennan Susan Point: Spindle Whorl Finalist
Gabrielle Prendergast Pandas on the Eastside Finalist
Sam Wiebe Invisible Dead Finalist
2018 Chelene Knight Dear Current Occupant Winner [11]
Travis Lupick Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City's Struggle with Addiction Finalist
Erín Moure Sitting Shiva on Minto Avenue, by Toots Finalist
Rachel Rose Sustenance: Writers from BC and Beyond on the Subject of Food Finalist
2019 Robert Watt and Susan Point People among the People: The public art of Susan Point Winner
Phillip Huynh The Forbidden Purple City Finalist
Eve Lazarus Murder by Milkshake: An Astonishing True Story of Adultery, Arsenic, and a Charismatic Killer Finalist
Susin Nielsen No Fixed Address Finalist
Shazia Hafiz Ramji Port of Being Finalist
2020 Catherine B. Clement Chinatown Through a Wide Lens: The Hidden Photographs of Yucho Chow Winner [12]
Francine Cunningham on/me Finalist [13]
Alex Leslie Vancouver for Beginners Finalist [13]
2021 Michelle Good Five Little Indians Winner [12]
Joseph Dandurand The East Side of It All Finalist [13]
Danny Ramadan and Anna Bron Salma the Syrian Chef Finalist [13]
Marlene Yuen Ho Sun Hing Printers Honourable mention [citation needed]
2022 Karen Duffek, Bill McLennan, and Jordan Wilson Where the Power Is: Indigenous Perspectives on Northwest Coast Art Winner
Meghan Bell Erase and Rewind Finalist [14]
Henry Doyle No Shelter Finalist [14]
Grace Eiko Thomson Chiru Sakura: Falling Cherry Blossoms Finalist [14]
Paul Wong Debbie Cheung & Christopher Lee, Occupying Chinatown Finalist [14]
2023 Chelene Knight Junie Winner
Evelyn Lau Cactus Gardens Finalist
Michele Assarasakorn, Nathan Fairbairn PAWS: Mindy Makes Some Space Finalist
Danny Ramadan The Foghorn Echoes Finalist
Tara McGuire Holden After and Before: Love Letter for a Son Lost to Overdose Finalist
Jan Wade, Deanna Bowen, Wayde Compton, Daina Augaitis, Siobhan McCracken Nixon Jan Wade: Soul Power Finalist
2024 Henry Tsang White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver Winner
C. A. Tanaka Baby Drag Queen Finalist
Jen Sookfong Lee Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart Finalist
Rueben George, Michael Simpson It Stops Here: Standing Up for Our Lands, Our Waters, and Our People Finalist
Joni Low, Jeff O'Brien, editors, plus numerous authors What Are Our Supports? Finalist

Notes

  1. ^ The 1989 jurors were Jean Barman, Russell Kelly, and Doreen Westgarth.
  2. ^ The 1991 jurors were Sue Baptie, Sean Rossiter, and Don Stewart.
  3. ^ The 1992 jurors were Jean Barman, Janice Douglas, and Margaret Gabriel.
  4. ^ The 1993 jurors were Gordon Elliott, John Oliphant, and Lucy Stewart.
  5. ^ The 1994 jurors were Andrea Davies, Chuck Davis, and Bruce Macdonald.
  6. ^ The 1995 jurors were Irene Howard, Nancy Stubbs, and Greg Willett.
  7. ^ The 1996 jurors were Mary Ann Cantillon, Irene Howard, and Brahm Kornbluth.
  8. ^ The 1997 jurors were Laura Hackett, Judy Taylor, and Anne Yandle.
  9. ^ The 1998 jurors were Donna Brendon, Ian Chunn, and Vickie Jensen.
  10. ^ The 1999 jurors were Mark Leier, Bob Sarti, and Joseph Stewart.
  11. ^ The 2000 jurors were Shamina Senaratne, Nina Smart, and Joseph Stewart.
  12. ^ The 2001 jurors were Brenda Peterson, Shamina Senaratne, and Don Stewart.
  13. ^ The 2002 jurors were Brenda Peterson, Denise Ryan, and Michael Varty.
  14. ^ The 2003 jurors were George Fetherling, Michael Varty, and Anne Yandle.
  15. ^ The 2004 jurors were Crystal Allen, Keith Bunnell, and George Fetherling.
  16. ^ The 2005 jurors were Keith Bunnell, Laurie Roggeman, and Max Wyman.
  17. ^ The 2006 jurors were Rod Clarke, Glenn Deer, and Laurie Roggeman.
  18. ^ The 2007 jurors were Glenn Deer, Marc Fournier, and Karen X. Tulchinsky.
  19. ^ The 2008 jurors were Michelle Benjamin, Marc Fournier, and Fernanda Viveiros.
  20. ^ The 2009 jurors were Janice Douglas, Fred Wah, and Fernanda Viveiros.
  21. ^ The 2010 jurors were Janice Douglas, Fred Wah, and Jean Wilson.
  22. ^ The 2011 jurors were Emilie Dierking, Lee Henderson, and Jim Wong-Chu.
  23. ^ The 2012 jurors were Jane Bouey, David Chariandy, and Rebecca Wigod.
  24. ^ The 2013 jurors were Andrea Davies, Elee Kraljii Gardiner, and Paul Whitney.
  25. ^ The 2014 jurors were Jordan Abel, Elee Kraljii Gardiner, and Anna Ling Kaye.
  26. ^ The 2015 jurors were Anna Ling Kaye, Zoey Leigh Peterson, and Sirish Rao.
  27. ^ The 2016 jurors were Shirley Lew, Zoey Leigh Peterson, and Mary Schendlinger.

References

  1. ^ "Book Award winners and short lists". City of Vancouver. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  2. ^ a b c Samson, Natalie (2011-09-15). "City of Vancouver Book Award reveals shortlist". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  3. ^ a b c d Carter, Sue (2012-09-13). "City of Vancouver Book Award announces shortlist". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  4. ^ Carter, Sue (2013-11-25). "Amber Dawn wins City of Vancouver Book Award". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  5. ^ a b c d Robertson, Becky (2014-09-17). "City of Vancouver Book Award shortlist announced". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  6. ^ Sherlock, Tracy (2015-11-12). "Author Wayde Compton wins 2015 City of Vancouver Book Award". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2022-01-29. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  7. ^ "Wayde Compton wins City of Vancouver Book Award". The Georgia Straight. 2015-11-12. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  8. ^ "This year's City of Vancouver Book Award goes to Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories". The Georgia Straight. 2016-10-03. Archived from the original on 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  9. ^ a b Lao, Lucy (2016-09-06). "City of Vancouver announces finalists for 2016 Book Award". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  10. ^ Robertson, Becky (2017-10-12). "Carleigh Baker wins 2017 Vancouver Book Award". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2022-11-27. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  11. ^ Smith, Charlie (2018-12-08). "Chelene Knight's Dear Current Occupant wins City of Vancouver Book Award". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  12. ^ a b Dunphy, Martin (2021-11-20). "Winners of the 2021 and 2020 Vancouver Book Award announced, along with city's new poet laureate". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  13. ^ a b c d Gee, Dana (2021-10-20). "Vancouver Book Award finalists named". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2022-05-22. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  14. ^ a b c d Zoria, Anna (2022-08-29). "Five finalists announced for the 2022 City of Vancouver Book Award". BC Alliance for Arts + Culture. Archived from the original on 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2023-06-13.