Shortlist announced for Hamilton Literary Awards
Hamilton Arts Council will present the 30th annual recognition of writing excellence on Dec. 14.
The Hamilton Arts Council has revealed the shortlisted authors for the 30th annual Hamilton Literary Awards, which recognizes and celebrates literary excellence in the Greater Hamilton Area and Six Nations of the Grand River.
The Dec. 14 awards ceremony will be hosted in partnership with Hamilton Public Library and sponsors Epic Books, and A Different Drummer Books.
Ceremony attendees will hear readings from the shortlisted authors.
The awards recognize outstanding works published in 2022 across five categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children's books, and the Kerry Schooley Book Award. The Kerry Schooley Book Award honours the book that most vividly evokes the essence of Hamilton and its surrounding areas.
Anuja Varghese will return as the host for this special occasion. She is a distinguished Hamilton-based QWOC (queer woman of colour), writer, editor, and recipient of the 2023 Governor General's Literary Award in Fiction for her debut short story collection Chrysalis.
“The 30th anniversary of the Hamilton Literary Awards is a testament to the vibrant and thriving community of writers, readers, publishers, editors, and booksellers who have continuously contributed to Hamilton's cultural legacy,” the Hamilton Arts Council said in a press release.
“The awards have played a crucial role in shaping Hamilton's identity as a culturally enriching and inspiring city.”
A limited number of tickets for the awards ceremony are available here.
The shortlisted authors for each category are:
FICTION
Ainslie Hogarth for Motherthing
Robert McGill for A Suitable Companion for the End of Your Life
Sheila Murray for Finding Edward
NON-FICTION
David J. Forsyth for Alice and the Machine Gunner
Joyce Grant for Can You Believe It? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts
Rollie Pemberton for Bedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry
Carl Watts for I Just Wrote This Five Minutes Ago
POETRY
Gary Barwin for The Most Charming Creatures
Fareh Malik for Streams that Lead Somewhere
Chris Pannell for The Fragmentarium and Other Poems
CHILDREN’S BOOK
Joyce Grant for Can You Believe It? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts
Lawrence Hill for Beatrice and Croc Harry
Sylvia McNicoll for What the Dog Knows
KERRY SCHOOLEY BOOK AWARD
Darrell Epp for Permanent Smoke
Carrie Snyder for Francie’s Got a Gun
Brent van Staalduinen for Cut Road
