Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen today announced the six finalists for the first Prince Edward Island Book awards.
The Prince Edward Island Department of Community and Cultural Affairs established the P.E.I. Book Award to recognize rich tradition of writing and publishing in the province and to encourage quality in the area. The award will be presented every two years to recognize the best PEI book.
“We have been extremely pleased with the response to this program,” said Mr. MacFadyen, adding that 31 submissions were received for consideration by the award jury. “We had originally asked the jury to provide five titles as finalists, but owing to the high quality of the submissions, they asked that six books be considered for the final award.”
In alphabetical order by author, the six finalists are as follows:
• Pets, Professors and Politicians by Marion Bruce, published by the Island Studies Press – a history of the founding and early years of the Atlantic Veterinary College
• Working Together by Marion Bruce and Elizabeth Cran, published by the Island Studies Press – a history of Cooperatives on P.E.I.
• The Brow of Dawn by Catherine Edward, published by Acorn Press – a personal story of living with a debilitating disease
• Last Tomato by Jane Ledwell, published by the Acorn Press – a volume of poetry
• Between Two Cultures by Wayne MacKinnon, published by Tea Hill Press – a history of the premiership of Alex Campbell
• Chasing a Dream by J. Clinton Morrison, published by Crescent Isle Publishers – a history of Prince Edward Islanders in the Klondike
“The authors and publishers of these six books and, indeed, of all of the books in the competition are to be congratulated,” said Minister MacFadyen. “These books show a consistently high quality and cover a wide range of interests. I look forward to the selection of the winner and the presentation of the first Prince Edward Book Award on June 1, 2006.”
BACKGROUNDER
NOMINATED BOOKS: 2006 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND BOOK AWARD
AUTHOR(S) -- TITLE
Arsenault, Georges -- Noël en Aadie
Ballem, Charlie -- More Than Just a Game
Barrett, Wayne / MacKay, Anne -- Charlottetown
Barrett, Wayne / MacKay, Anne -- A Writer’s Garden
Bruce, Marian -- Pets, Professors, and Politicians
Bruce, Marian / Cran, Elizabeth -- Working Together
Bruce, Marian -- A Century of Excellence
Burge, Irene -- You Walked With Us Awhile
Callaghan, Bernard J. -- Feet of Clay
Edward, Catherine -- The Brow of Dawn
Gaudet, Judy -- Her Teeth are Stones
Hicks Morrow, Dianne -- Kindred Spirits
Ledwell, Frank -- Island Sketchbook
Ledwell, Jane -- Last Tomato
Limbert, Shirley -- Seachange Cottage
MacKinnon, Wayne -- Between Two Cultures: The Alex Campbell Years
MacLean, Jill -- Jean Pierre Roma of the Company of the East Isle St. Jean
McCabe, Shauna -- Ancient Motel Landscape
McCann-Beranger, Judith -- A Caregiver’s Guide, 2nd ed.*
Morrison, J. Clinton -- Chasing a Dream
Nicholson, Linda Jean -- Early Prince Edward Island Probate Records 1786-1850
Nicholson, Linda Jean / Gillis, Eliza / Gillis, Viola -- Leap Over Time
Pendergast, Reginald / Pendergast-Stanyer, Patricia -- Trailblazer: The Legendary “Big Jim” Pendergast
Porter, Brenda -- Notes From a Musical Garden
Reid, Marion L. -- These Roots Run Deep
Rodgers, Frederick -- Lily & Me
Smith, John -- Fireflies in the Magnolia Grove
Weale, David -- Pride in Small Places
Weale, David -- Whatever You Say
Weale, David -- Three Tall Trees
Wright, George -- Who Departed This Life