The shortlists for the 2012 ReLit Awards were announced today. The annual awards recognize novels, short fiction, and poetry published by Canadian independent literary presses.

The winners will be presented with specially crafted ReLit rings on Oct. 20 at the Ottawa International Writers Festival.

NOVELS:

• Edem Awumey; Lazer Lederhendler, trans., Dirty Feet (House of Anansi Press)
• Ashley Little, Prick: Confessions of a Tattoo Artist (Tightrope Books)
• Catherine Mavrikakis, Flowers of Spit (BookThug)
• Suzette Mayr, Monoceros (Coach House Books)
• Tom Reynolds, Break Me (Quattro Books)
• Edward Riche, Easy to Like (Anansi)

SHORT FICTION:

• Carolyn Black, The Odious Child (Nightwood Editions)
• Matthew Firth, Shag Carpet Action (Anvil Press)
• Daniel Griffin, Stopping for Strangers (Véhicule Press)
• Jesus Hardwell, Easy Living (Exile Editions)
• Greg Kearney, Pretty (Exile)
• Mike Spry, Distillery Songs (Insomniac)

POETRY:

• Patrick Friesen, Jumping in the Asylum (Quattro)
• Cornelia Hoogland, Woods Wolf Girl (Wolsak & Wynn)
• Joel Thomas Hynes, Straight Razor Days (Pedlar Press)
• Sean Johnston, The Ditch Was Lit Like This (Thistledown Press)
• Robin Richardson, Grunt of the Minotaur (Insomniac)
• Sandra Ridley, Post-Apothecary (Pedlar)