The BC Book & Yukon Prizes, established in 1985, celebrate the achievements of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

and

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

writers and publishers. The prizes, as well as the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence, are presented annually at the Lieutenant Governor's BC Book Prize Gala in April. The prizes are administered and awarded by the West Coast Book Prize Society. Publicity, organization of the awards and fundraising for the Gala and prize pool was handled by

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

marketing and publicity firm, Rebus Creative until the end of 2018. In early 2019, Sean Cranbury was appointed as Executive Director by the Board of the West Coast Book Prize Society to take over production and promotion of the BC & Yukon Book Prizes. In 2021, Sharon Bradley took over as Executive Director, and Megan Cole was hired as the Director of Programming and Communications. In 2019, the prizes announced a name change from BC Book Prizes to BC & Yukon Book Prizes. The award criteria has always been open to Yukon writers as well as British Columbian writers, and the name change was made to reflect that dedication. Further to that dedication, in 2020, the Borealis Prize: The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution was announced in partnership with the Commissioner of Yukon. The Borealis Prize was established to recognize the lifetime achievement of an individual's contributions to the Yukon writing and publishing community.

Administration

Core board members

The current president is Robert Bittner, an educator and researcher in the field of children's and young adult literature. Tara Borin, a poet based in Dawson City, Yukon, holds the position of secretary. And, the present treasurer of the non-profit organization overseeing the BC and Yukon Book Prizes is Michelle Chang.

Members at large

Michael Hayworth, a former University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University IT services employee who holds a degree in publishing from the latter university. Digby R. Leig, a lawyer practicing in North Vancouver, British Columbia who has a history of community sports involvement. Frances Peck, a teacher of editing at

Douglas College Douglas College is the largest college in British Columbia, Canada with 7,958 full-time equivalent students in 2023-24. Douglas College offers bachelor's degrees and general university arts and science courses, as well as career programs in h ...

and Simon Fraser University, who volunteers with Editors Canada. Kathryn Shoemaker, an author and illustrator of children's literature, and former president of the Endeavour Society and the Canadian Mental Health Association, who presently holds a position as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia. And, Grant T. Smith, a chartered professional accountant with previous experiences working in theatrical revitalization across Canada.

Awards

Nomination criteria

Although not a requirement on all of the prizes, the Bill Duthie, Sheila A. Egoff, Hubert Evans, Dorothy Livesay, and Ethel Wilson awards stipulate that in order to be nominated one must be either a current resident of British Columbia or Yukon, or have resided in either for three of the previous five years.

Annual prizes

Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize The Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, established in 1986, is awarded annually to the best collection of poetry by a resident of British Columbia, Canada. One of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes, the award was originally known as the B.C. Prize for Poet ...

The Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize is annually awarded to the best original work of poetry produced by a resident of British Columbia or the Yukon. Originally established in 1986 as the BC Poetry Prize, the award was renamed to its current title in 1989 after the poet

Dorothy Livesay Dorothy Kathleen May Livesay, (October 12, 1909 – December 29, 1996) was a Canadian poet who twice won the Governor General's Award in the 1940s, and was "senior woman writer in Canada" during the 1970s and 1980s.Mathews, R.D.. "Dorothy L ...

. Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize The Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize is annually awarded to the best original work of fiction produced by a resident of British Columbia or the Yukon. Established in 1985, it is currently supported by Friesens. Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize The Roderick Haig-Brown Regional prize is annually awarded to the best original work which contributes "the most to the enjoyment and understanding of the province of British Columbia". Its holds no specific subject requirement (the work can depict the province's history, geography, people, etc.) and may be published anywhere. It is supported by Marquis, Victoria Bindery, and First Choice Books. Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize The Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize is annually awarded to the best original work of non-fiction produced by a resident of British Columbia or the Yukon. Supported by the BC Teacher's Federation, its respects a broad range of subjects as long as the work reflects "quality of research and writing along with insight and originality".

Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize The Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize is awarded annually as the BC Book Prizes, BC Book Prize for the best juvenile or young adult novel or work of non-fiction by a resident of British Columbia or the Yukon, Canada. It was first awarded ...

The Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize is annually awarded to the best children's work produced by a resident of British Columbia or the Yukon. Though the work can be either fiction or non-fiction (including biography), it cannot be "highly" illustrated. Carrying a cash value of 2,000 CAD, the prize has been supported by the British Columbia Library Association since its inception in 1987. Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize The

Christie Harris Christie Lucy Harris, (November 21, 1907 – January 5, 2002) was a Canadian children's writer. She is best known for her portrayal of Haida First Nations culture in the 1966 novel '' Raven's Cry.'' Biography Harris was born in Newark, New Je ...

Illustrated Children's Literature Prize is annually award to the best children's illustrated work produced by a resident of British Columbia of the Yukon. The work can be either fiction or non-fiction and the prize is jointly shared by the author and illustrator. Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award The Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award is annually awarded for "best book in terms of public appeal, initiative, design, production and content", and is shared by the author and publisher. Jim Deva Award for Writing that Provokes Introduced in 2019 and first awarded in 2020, the Jim Deva Award for Writing that Provokes is for original work that "challenges or provokes the ideas and forces that shape what writing, art, and/or society can become." The category is open to a wide range of writing, including poetry, nonfiction, fiction, work for children, and graphic novels. The award is named for the co-founder and co-owner of Little Sister’s Gay and Lesbian Bookstore and Art Emporium in

, and the award is supported by Deva's partner Bruce Smyth. Both Deva and Smyth were dedicated to the freedom of information, and the freedom of sexual expression and identity.

Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence The Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence is administered by the BC Book Prizes and recognizes a writer who has contributed significantly to the development of literary excellence in British Columbia, as well as having written a substa ...

The Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence is annually awarded to "recognize British Columbia writers who have contributed to the development of literary excellence" and is supported by the Government House Foundation. The award was originally established by The Honourable Iona Campagnolo in 2003. Borealis Prize: The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution In 2020, the Borealis Prize was announced in partnership with the Commissioner of Yukon to recognize the lifetime achievement of an individual's contributions to the Yukon writing and publishing community. The prize is open to nominations of authors as well as others such as volunteers who work with or in the literary community.

Efforts Against Censorship

During the year of the 15th annual BC Book Prizes Gala, over $2,250 was raised to initiate the B.C. Civil Liberties Defence Fund. This was in the efforts of stopping censorship to help protect the freedom of ideas.

On Tour

There is a tradition built up for selected authors who were finalists for the BC Book Prizes to go on tour giving free readings at BC schools and public venues. Each year they go on a couple of different legs, each one consisting of two authors and taking anywhere between 2–5 days on each route. These routes include Northern BC Leg, Southern BC Leg, Peace River Leg,

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

Leg,

Kootenays The Kootenays or Kootenay ( ) is a region of southeastern British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Kutenai First Nations people. Boundaries The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Koote ...

Leg, Peace Country Leg, BC Interior Leg,

Leg,

Okanagan The Okanagan ( ), also called the Okanagan Valley and sometimes the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part of ...

Leg, and the Lower Mainland Leg.

Lieutenant Governor's BC Book Prizes Gala

The winners for the annual BC & Yukon Book Prizes is announced at the Lieutenant Governor's BC Book Prizes Gala, which takes place each Spring. Every three years, the awards take place at Government House in Victoria,

. The winners are collectively awarded with $19,000 in cash prizes and are sponsored by the West Coast Book Prize Society.

References

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External links

BC & Yukon Book PrizesRecords of BC Book Prizes are held by Simon Fraser University's Special Collections and Rare Books