Quill & Quire » City of Vancouver Book Award announces shortlist

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By Sue Carter Flinn
September 13, 2012
3:19 PM

Filed under: awards , City of Vancouver Book Award

City of Vancouver Book Award announces shortlist

Independent presses dominate the shortlist for the 2012 City of Vancouver Book Award, which was announced today.

The $2,000 annual prize recognizes “authors of excellence of any genre who contribute to the appreciation and understanding of Vancouver’s history, unique character, or the achievements of its residents.”

The nominees are:

V6A: Writing from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, John Mikhail Asfour and Elee Kraljii Gardiner, eds. (Arsenal Pulp Press)
At the World’s Edge: Curt Lang’s Vancouver, 1937–1998, Claudia Cornwall (Mother Tongue Publishing)
Undesirables: White Canada & the Komagata Maru, Ali Kazimi (Douglas & McIntyre)
The Better Mother, Jen Sookfong Lee (Random House Canada)
YVR, W.H. New (Oolichan Books)

This year’s jury was comprised of former bookseller Jane Bouey, author and educator David Chariandy, and retired Vancouver Sun books editor Rebecca Wigod. The winner will be announced at the Mayor’s Arts Awards gala on Sept. 20.

YVR Reader

Excellent vetting process! How can someone (Chariandy) whose name is prominently listed as the blurb for one of the nominees books (Lee’s The Better Mother) be considered an eligible or impartial judge??
P. D.

Yeah, you’d think any judge worth his salt would admit that before taking on the job. How difficult is it to say, “Sorry, one of my friends is a nominee, so I can’t.”
Margeret Specht

The City of Vancouver’s cultural awards and grants
processes adhere to a strict set of conflict of interest guidelines, which are
sent to jury members prior to their review of submissions. Clear, collaborative and professional procedures
are followed whenever a jury member openly expresses concern about his/her
possible conflict, as was the case here.
I proudly stand behind the list of 2012 finalists and applaud their
wonderful contributions to Vancouver’s cultural community.

Margaret Specht

Director of Grants, Awards and Support Programs

Cultural Services Department

City of Vancouver
Seriously?

It seems to me very unlikely that anyone has read YVR, an obscure book of poetry, and of their own volition lodged this bizarre complaint. It seems more likely that someone with a stake in this tiny, insignificant prize is doing some electioneering. I would as well bet money that a revealing of ip addresses would show that YVR Reader and P.D. are the same person. Chariandy gave a book a blurb in which he said it was a good book. How does this negate his ability to judge a prize in which his job is to pick five good books? There are real scandals out there. This isn’t one of them. It’s pissy crap like this that makes good writers not want to be on juries. Cut it out.

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