Ottawa Book Award and Prix du livre d'Ottawa is a Canadian

literary award A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded Literature, literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award c ...

presented by the

City of Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of the Ottawa–Gatinea ...

to the best English and French language books written in the previous year by a living author residing in Ottawa.2011 Guidelines for Authors and Publishers
Ottawa Book Awards website There are four awards each year: English fiction and non-fiction (the Ottawa Book Awards); French fiction and non-fiction (Prix du livre d'Ottawa). As of 2011 the four prize winners receive $7,500 each and short-listed authors $1,000 each. The award was founded in 1986. In its earlier years it was named the Ottawa-Carleton Book Awards. From 1986 to 1990, only a single winner was named each year, with the prize alternating between non-fiction in even-numbered years and fiction in odd-numbered years. Beginning in 1991, separate awards were created for English and French literature,"Ottawa writers big winners; Top prize split between English, French authors for the first time in Valley festival". ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as the Bytown ''Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the ''Ci ...

'', April 27, 1991. although the alternation between non-fiction and fiction titles each year continued until 2004; ever since, four awards have been presented annually for both English and French fiction and non-fiction. Despite being named as "fiction", however, the fiction category is also open to poetry titles. Each category is presented only if the committee has received at least five eligible submissions within the appropriate eligibility period. If this benchmark is not reached, then no award is presented in that category; instead, any submissions that were received are forwarded for consideration in the following year, while the prize money is rolled back into the city's annual arts granting program.Burt Heward, "Sawatsky wins top literary prize; ottawa-Carleton award goes to author who tracked Mulroney's rise to power". ''

'', May 2, 1992. To date, only the French categories have ever been delayed in this manner, with the French non-fiction category impacted much more frequently than the French fiction category. Although administered separately, the

Archibald Lampman Award The Archibald Lampman Award is an annual Canadian literary award, created by Blaine Marchand, and presented by the literary magazine '' Arc'', for the year's best work of poetry by a writer living in the National Capital Region. The award is p ...

for poetry is also typically presented at the same time as the Ottawa Book Awards announcements.

Winners

Fiction (1986-1990)

*1987 - John Metcalf, ''Adult Entertainment'' *1989 - Maurice Henrie, ''La Chambre à mourir''

Non-fiction (1986-1990)

*1986 -

Joan Finnigan Joan Helen Finnigan (November 23, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was a Canadian writer and poet. She won a Genie Award for Best Screenplay in 1969. She wrote over 30 books, many of them oral histories of the Ottawa Valley. Personal life Joan Finnigan ...

, ''Legacies, Legends and Lies'' and

Jean Bruce Jean Bruce (22 March 1921 – 26 March 1963), born Jean Brochet, was a prolific French popular writer. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Alexandre, Jean Alexandre Brochet, Jean-Martin Rouan, and Joyce Lindsay. He died in a car accident in ...

, ''Back the Attack! : Canadian Women During the Second World War'' *1988 - Patricia Morley, ''Kurelek: A Biography'' *1990 -

Roy MacGregor Roy MacGregor (born 1948) is a Canadian author of fiction and non-fiction. Career Roy MacGregor was born in Whitney, Ontario in 1948 and grew up in Huntsville, Ontario. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Laurentian U ...

, ''Chief: The Fearless Vision of Billy Diamond''

English fiction (1991-present)

*1991 -

Rita Donovan Rita may refer to: People * Rita (given name) * Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984) * Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962) * Rita (Japanese singer) * Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita Places * Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...

, ''Dark Jewels'' *1993 -

, ''Daisy Circus'' and Nadine McInnis, ''The Litmus Body''Burt Heward, "Authors share ottawa-carleton fiction awards". ''

'', May 1, 1993. pp. 0-F4. Database: ProQuest Newsstand. *1995 - John Barton, ''Notes Towards a Family Tree'' and

Frances Itani Frances Susan Itani, née Hill (born August 25, 1942) is a Canadian fiction writer, poetry, poet and essayist. She is a Member of the Order of Canada. Biography Itani was born in Belleville, Ontario, Belleville, Ontario,

, ''Man Without Face'' Charles Gordon, "Ottawa man captures two awards for poetry". ''

'', May 6, 1995. *1997 -

Patrick Kavanagh Patrick Kavanagh (21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) was an Irish poet and novelist. His best-known works include the novel ''Tarry Flynn'', and the poems "On Raglan Road" and "The Great Hunger". He is known for his accounts of Irish life th ...

, ''Gaff Topsails''Jenny Jackson, "Author's first novel captures top prize". ''

'', May 10, 1997. *1999 -

Alan Cumyn Alan Cumyn (born 8 January 1960) is a Canadian novelist who lives in Ottawa, Ontario. Biography Born in Ottawa, Alan Cumyn studied at Royal Roads Military College in 1983, and Queen's University before earning an M.A. in Creative Writing and ...

, ''Man of Bone''Jenny Jackson, "Novelist wins $2000 award". ''

'', April 25, 1999. *2001 -

, ''Burridge Unbound''Paul Gessell, "Cumyn captures book prize -- again". ''

'', April 27, 2001. *2003 - Brian Doyle, ''Mary Ann Alice''Paul Gessell, "Doyle wins prize for latest novel: Ottawa Literary Awards presented last night". ''

'', April 25, 2003. *2004 - Elizabeth Hay, '' Garbo Laughs''Paul Gessell, "Ice storm of '98 stars in story chosen as best work of fiction". ''

'', April 22, 2004. *2005 -

, ''Poached Egg on Toast'' *2006 - John-James Ford, '' Bonk on the Head'' and John Geddes, ''The Sundog Season'' *2007 -

Janet Lunn Janet Louise Lunn, (''née'' Swoboda; December 28, 1928 – June 26, 2017) was a Canadian children's writer. Early life and education Lunn was born in Dallas, Texas; she moved with her family to Vermont when she was an infant. In 1938, she ...

, ''A Rebel's Daughter'' *2008 - Elizabeth Hay, '' Late Nights on Air'' *2009 -

Andrew Steinmetz Andrew Steinmetz is a Canadian writer, editor and musician. He was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1965. Steinmetz formed the band Weather Permitting in 1985. In the 1990s, he was a member of the Montreal alt-country band Good Cookies. Steinmetz is ...

, ''Eva’s Threepenny Theatre'' *2010 - Craig Poile, ''True Concessions''"Ottawa Book Awards honour works by Poile, Horrall, Rochon; Authors receive recognition for poetry, non-fiction, French fiction". ''

'', October 30, 2010. Database: ProQuest Newsstand. *2011 - Gabriella Goliger, ''Girl Unwrapped''"Old Ottawa South resident awarded for Girl Unwrapped." (2011, November 4). ''Ottawa This Week West'' ttawa, Ontario p. 1. Gale Document Number: GALE, A272194183 *2012 - Jamieson Findlay, ''The Summer of Permanent Wants'' *2013 - Missy Marston, ''The Love Monster'' *2014 - David O'Meara, ''A Pretty Sight'' *2015 -

Scott Randall Scott Phillip Randall (born October 29, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Randall's Major League Baseball (MLB) career began in June 1995 when he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round of the Major League B ...

, ''And to Say Hello'' *2016 - Nadine McInnis, ''Delirium for Solo Harp'' *2017 - John Metcalf, ''The Museum at the End of the World''Ryan B. Patrick
"Charlotte Gray, John Metcalf and Andrée Christensen win 2017 Ottawa Book Awards"

CBC Books CBC Arts () is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that creates and curates written articles, short documentaries, non-fiction series and interactive projects that represent the excellence of Canada's diverse artistic communitie ...

, July 13, 2017. *2018 -

Shane Rhodes Shane Rhodes is a Canadian poet. Life He graduated from the University of New Brunswick, and currently lives in Ottawa. He is a two-time winner of the Archibald Lampman Award for poetry. In 2008, when his work ''The Bindery'' won the award, Rho ...

, ''Dead White Men'' *2019 - Kagiso Lesego Molope, ''This Book Betrays My Brother'' *2020 - Henry Beissel, ''Footprints of Dark Energy'' *2021 - Conyer Clayton, ''We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite'' *2022 - David O'Meara, ''Masses on Radar''Lynn Saxberg
"Poet O'Meara scoops two more Ottawa book awards"
''

'', October 21, 2022. *2023 - Jean Van Loon, ''Nuclear Family''"Tim Cook and Jean Van Loon among winners of 2023 Ottawa Book Awards"
''

Quill & Quire ''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...

'', October 13, 2023. *2024 - Sandra Ridley, ''Vixen''

English non-fiction (1991-present)

*1992 -

John Sawatsky Ferdinand John Sawatsky (born 1948) is a Canadian author, journalist and interviewer. Early career Born in Winkler, Manitoba in 1948, he graduated from Mennonite Educational Institute in Abbotsford and attended Simon Fraser University in the lat ...

, ''Mulroney: The Politics of Ambition'' *1994 - Penelope Williams, ''That Other Place: A Personal Account of Breast Cancer'' *1996 - Clyde Sanger, ''Malcolm MacDonald: Bringing an End to Empire'' *1998 - Isaac Vogelfanger, ''Red Tempest'' *2000 -

, ''A Life in the Bush: Lessons From My Father'' *2002 -

Anna Heilman Anna Heilman, born Hana Wajcblum (December 1, 1928 – May 1, 2011 age 83), referred to in other sources as Hanka or Chana Weissman, was one of the surviving prisoners from Auschwitz who plotted to blow up the crematoria. She, along with her el ...

, ''Never Far Away'' *2004 - Madelaine Drohan, ''Making a Killing: How and Why Corporations Use Armed Force to Do Business'' *2005 - Valerie Knowles, ''From Telegrapher to Titan: The Life of William C. Van Horne'' *2006 -

Heather Menzies Heather Margaret Brotherston Menzies Urich (December 3, 1949 – December 24, 2017) was a Canadian actress known for her roles as Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 film ''The Sound of Music'' and Jessica 6 in the TV series ''Logan's Run''. Earl ...

, ''No Time: Stress and the Crisis of Modern Life'' *2007 - Charlotte Gray, ''Reluctant Genius: The Passionate Life and Inventive Mind of Alexander Graham Bell'' *2008 -

Tim Cook Timothy Donald Cook (born November 1, 1960) is an American business executive who is the current chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Cook had previously been the company's chief operating officer under its co-founder Steve Jobs. Cook joined ...

, ''At the Sharp End: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1914-1916'' *2009 -

Kerry Pither Kerry or Kerri may refer to: People * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin, including a list of people with the name Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia, a rural community * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an inter ...

, ''Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror'' *2010 - Andrew Horrall, ''Bringing Art to Life: a Biography of Alan Jarvis'' *2011 - Eric Enno Tamm, ''The Horse that Leaps Through Clouds'' *2012 - Ruth B. Phillips, ''Museum Pieces: Toward the Indigenization of Canadian Museums'' *2013 - Michael Petrou, ''Is This Your First War? Travels through the Post - 9/11 Islamic World'' *2014 -

Paul Wells Paul Wells is a Canadian journalist and pundit. He was briefly a national affairs columnist for the ''Toronto Star'' in 2016–2017. Before that, he was a columnist for ''Maclean's'' for thirteen years; his column originally appeared in the bac ...

, ''The Longer I'm Prime Minister: Stephen Harper and Canada, 2006'' *2015 -

, ''Reclaiming the Commons for the Common Good'' *2016 -

, ''Fight to the Finish: Canadians in the Second World War, 1944-1945'' *2017 - Charlotte Gray, ''The Promise of Canada: 150 Years - People and Ideas that Have Shaped our Country'' *2018 -

, ''Original Highways: Travelling the Great Rivers of Canada'' *2019 -

, ''The Secret History of Soldiers: How Canadians Survived the Great War'' *2020 -

Beverley McLachlin Beverley Marian McLachlin (born September 7, 1943) is a Canadian jurist and author who served as the 17th chief justice of Canada from 2000 to 2017. She is the longest-serving chief justice in Canadian history and the first woman to hold the ...

, ''Truth Be Told: My Journey Through Life and the Law'' *2021 -

Suzanne Evans Suzanne Elizabeth Evans (born February 1965) is an English journalist and politician, formerly associated with the UK Independence Party (UKIP). On 6 May 2010, Evans was elected as a Conservative councillor in the London Borough of Merton Counc ...

, ''The Taste of Longing: Ethel Mulvany and Her Starving Prisoners of War Cookbook'' *2022 -

Fen Osler Hampson Fen Osler Hampson is Chancellor's Professor and Professor of International Affairs at Carleton University and President of the World Refugee & Migration Council. He was a Visiting Fellow at The New Institute and a Distinguished Fellow and Director ...

and Mike Blanchfield, ''The Two Michaels: Innocent Canadian Captives and High Stakes Espionage in the US-China Cyber War'' *2023 -

, ''Lifesavers and Body Snatchers: Medical Care and the Struggle for Survival in the Great War'' *2024 -

Huda Mukbil Huda Mukbil is a Canadian former security intelligence operative and prominent social activist. Early life Mukbil was born into a middle-class family in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, and her family fled during the Ethiopian Civil War in the 70s. She an ...

, ''Agent of Change: My life Fighting Terrorists, Spies and Institutional Racism''

French fiction (1991-present)

*1991 -

Daniel Poliquin Daniel Poliquin (born December 18, 1953) is a Canadian novelist and translator. He has translated works of various Canadian writers into French, including David Homel, Douglas Glover, and Mordecai Richler. Poliquin and his hometown of Ottawa ar ...

, ''Visions de Jude'' *1993 - Maurice Henrie, ''Le Pont sur le temps'' and Gabrielle Poulin, ''Petites fugues pour une saison sèche'' *1995 - Andrée Christensen, ''Noces d’ailleurs'' *1997 - Maurice Henrie, ''Le Balcon dans le ciel'' *1999 - Pierre Raphaël Pelletier, ''Il faut crier l’injure'' *2001 - Nicole V. Champeau, ''Dans les pas de la louve'' and Michèle Matteau, ''Quatuor pour cordes sensibles'' *2003 - Jean Mohsen Fahmy, ''Ibn Kaldoun: l'honneur et la disgrâce'' and Nancy Vickers, ''La Petite Vieille aux poupées'' *2004 - Maurice Henrie, ''Mémoire Vive'' *2005 - Maurice Henrie, ''Les roses et le verglas'' and

Michel Thérien Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...

, ''L’aridité des fleuves'' *2006 - Gilles Lacombe, ''Trafiquante de lumière'' *2007 -

, ''La Kermesse'' *2008 - Andrée Christensen, ''Depuis toujours, j’entendais la mer'' *2009 -

Margaret Michèle Cook Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Old Iranian. It has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular throughout the Middle Ages. It became le ...

, ''Chronos à sa table de travail'' *2010 - Claire Rochon, ''Fragments de Sifnos'' *2011 - ''not awarded'' *2012 -

Estelle Beauchamp Estelle Beauchamp is a Canadian educator and writer. She was born in Montreal, where she worked as a language teacher. Beauchamp moved to Ottawa in 1974. She later moved to Sudbury. Works * ''Les Mémoires de Christine Marshall'' (Prise de pa ...

, ''Un souffle venu de loin'' *2013 - Marie-Josée Martin, ''Un jour, ils entendront mes silences'' *2014 - ''not awarded'' *2015 -

Blaise Ndala Blaise Ndala is a Canadian writer. He is most noted for his novel ''Sans capote ni kalachnikov'', which won the 2019 edition of ''Le Combat des livres''.Pierre-Luc Landry, ''Les corps extraterrestres'' *2017 - Andrée Christensen, ''Épines d'encre'' *2018 - Alain Bernard Marchand, ''Sept vies, dix-sept morts'' *2019 - Andrée Christensen, ''L'Isle aux abeilles noires'' *2020 - Véronique Sylvain, ''Premier quart'' *2021 - Monia Mazigh, ''Farida'' *2022 -

Michèle Vinet Michele () is an Italian male given name, akin to the English male name Michael. Michele (usually pronounced ), is also an English female given name that is derived from the French Michèle. It is a variant spelling of the more common (and iden ...

, ''Le Malaimant'' *2023 - Nancy Vickers, ''Capharnaüm'' *2024 - Sébastien Pierroz, ''Deux heures avant la fin de l’été''

French non-fiction (1991-present)

*1992 - ''not awarded'' *1994 - Gilberte Paquette, ''Dans le sillage d’Élizabeth Bruyère'' *1996 - Elisabeth J. Lacelle, ''L’incontournable échange. Conversations oecuméniques et pluridisciplinaires'' *1998 - René Dionne, ''Histoire de la Littérature Franco-Ontarienne des origines à nos jours'' *2000 - Patricia Smart, ''Les femmes du Refus Global'' *2002 - Françoise Lepage, ''Histoire de la littérature pour la jeunesse'' *2004 - Mila Younes, ''Ma mère, ma fille, ma sœur'' *2005 - ''not awarded'' *2006 -

Réjean Robidoux Réjean or Rejean is a French masculine given name. Notable people with this name include: * Réjean Cloutier (born 1960), former professional hockey player *Réjean Cournoyer (born 1971), Canadian actor and singer *Réjean Ducharme (1941–2017), Q ...

, ''D’éloge et de critique'' *2007 - ''not awarded'' *2008 - ''not awarded'' *2009 - Maurice Henrie, ''Esprit de sel'' *2010 - ''not awarded'' *2011 - Lucie Joubert, ''L’envers du landau'' *2012 - ''not awarded'' *2013 - ''not awarded'' *2014 -

Philippe Bernier Arcand Philippe is a masculine given name, cognate to Philip, and sometimes also a surname. The name may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince ...

, ''La dérive populiste'' *2015 - ''not awarded'' *2016 - Patricia Smart, ''De Marie de l'Incarnation à Nelly Arcan'' *2017 - ''not awarded'' *2018 - ''not awarded'' *2019 - Yvon Malette, ''Entre le risque et le rêve : Une brève histoire des Éditions David'' *2020 - ''not awarded'' *2021 - Nicole V. Champeau, ''Niagara…la voie qui y mène'' *2022 - ''not awarded'' *2023 - Maurice Henrie, ''La tête haute'' *2024 - ''not awarded''

References

{{Reflist

External links

Ottawa Book Awards
Awards established in 1986 Canadian non-fiction literary awards Canadian fiction awards Culture of Ottawa