At a news conference this morning, the five titles on the shortlist for the 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction were announced. The winner of the prize will be awarded a crystal trophy and $25,000, and the runners-up will each receive $2000.
In addition to the shortlist, prize founder Noreen Taylor announced two new partnerships: one with MacLean's magazine and the other with the Huffington Post Canada. Both outlets have pledged to promote the finalists over the coming months. Taylor also thanked the many supporters of the prize over the years, including bookseller Ben McNally and IFOA Director Geoffrey Taylor. RBC Wealth Management, the sponsor of the prize, was represented by Vijay Parmar, who spoke to the importance of non-fiction and confirmed RBC's commitment to continue the practice of touring the prize winner across Canada to promote his or her book.
From the jury, non-fiction editor Susan Renouf and writer Stevie Cameron were both present and spoke to the difficulty of choosing five books from an incredibly strong group of submissions. Juror Allan M. Brandt was unable to attend, but citations for each finalist from the full jury are available on the Charles Taylor Prize website.
The list is a victory for BC writers — of the five finalists, only Andrew Westoll resides outside our westernmost province.
Congratulations to all the authors on the shortlist!
The 2012 Charles Taylor Prize Shortlist
- Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest (Knopf Canada) by Wade Davis
- Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe (Greystone Books) by Charlotte Gill
- The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit (McClelland & Stewart) by J. J. Lee
- Afflictions and Departures (Anvil Press) by Madeline Sonik
- The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A Canadian Story of Resilience and Recovery (HarperCollins Canada) by Andrew Westoll
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