The 2017 East Coast Literary Awards Shortlists Released
The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) has announced the shortlists for the 2017 East Coast Literary Awards (ECLAs). Publishers submitted a record number of 79 titles by writers who reside in Atlantic Canada’s four provinces. And after months of reading and deliberation, peer juries of professional writers agreed on shortlists for each award in fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
The ECLAs are headlined by the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. The Raddall Award’s $25,000 prize for the winning title makes it the most valuable literary award in Atlantic Canada. The JM Abraham Poetry Award and the Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award round out the program with a $2,000 prize for each award.
Winners of the three awards will be announced at a special presentation on May 31, 6:30 pm at the Halifax Central Library.
The shortlisted titles are as follows:
The Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award:
Advocate by Darren Greer
The Witches of New York by Ami McKay
The Fortunate Brother by Donna Morrissey
The JM Abraham Poetry Award:
The Back Channels by Jennifer Houle
The Unlit Path Behind the House by Margo Wheaton
You Can’t Bury Them All by Patrick Woodcock
The Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award:
Burnley “Rocky” Jones: Revolutionary by Burnley “Rocky” Jones & James W St G Walker
Redemption Songs by Jon Tattrie
Notes from a Feminist Killjoy by Erin Wunker
The ECLAs strive to highlight the best in Atlantic Canadian fiction, poetry and non-fiction through three annual literary awards. Titles eligible for the ECLAs must be the work of writers who are engaged in our region’s cultural life and creative economy as fulltime residents of Atlantic Canada. A peer assessment process conducted by professional writers from throughout the region determines shortlists and winners. The WFNS is the steward of the three awards, all of which have been in existence for many years and were founded by several endowments, including significant support from the families of Thomas Head Raddall and JM Abraham.
Established in 1976, the WFNS works to provide advice and assistance to writers at all stages of their careers, to encourage greater public recognition of writers and their achievements and to enhance the literary arts in our regional and national culture.
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