Three W.O. Mitchell Book Prize finalists announced
Three authors have emerged as finalists from 56 submissions for this year's W.O. Mitchell Book Prize.
Established in 1996, the prize honours Calgary storyteller W.O. Mitchell, well known for plays, short stories and books, including Who Has Seen the Wind, which sold close to a million copies.
In choosing finalists, the City of Calgary explains jury members considered many factors including themes that resonate with the audience, visual style, storyline structure, and ability to engage the reader.
Not sure if you are craving a mystery, a fairy-tale or a coming-of-age story? The Bittlemores by Jann Arden should fulfill them all.
"This marvel of a first novel digs into how people come to be so cruel, but it also glories in the miracle of human kindness," said the City of Calgary in a news release.
Meantime, two plays by Clem Martini, Cantata and The Extinction Therapist, delve into the struggles associated with elder care, mental illness, and a unique form of group therapy.
"Dr. Marshall's therapeutic practice offers group support to those threatened with extinction, including a woolly mammoth, a testy short-eared shrew, the uncompromising smallpox virus, an insecure Tyrannosaurus rex," said the City of Calgary.
If a love letter is more your speed, It Begins in Salt, a book of poems by Natalie Meisner, urges us to love harder.
"(It) wanders the halls of an ocean blue-collar life while rummaging the heart spaces of growing up, and evolves into mothering, labours, and loves," said the City of Calgary.
"The poems explore the ways the heart grows, and the tentacles of complexity grow and evolve."
The finalists will provide a public reading on April 10 at 7 p.m. at Shelf Life Books, 1302 Fourth St. S.W.
The W.O. Mitchell Book Prize presentation is happening during the Calgary Awards on June 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship for not following orders after traffic fatality
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Jessica Biel hopes to normalize the conversation around menstruation with a new children's book
Jessica Biel is the author of a new children’s book focused on destigmatizing and normalizing the conversation around menstruation.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.