Manitoba Book Awards

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (April 2021)

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Manitoba Books Awards/Les Prix du livre du Manitoba was the premiere annual book awards for Manitoba, Canada from 1988 to 2023. Originating in 1988, an award gala was usually held in April in Winnipeg, Manitoba, celebrating the best of Manitoba writing and publishing from the previous year.

Depending on the year, there were several awards conferred, as some of the awards were only bestowed biannually. The awards were co-produced by the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers and the Manitoba Writers' Guild. Awards include the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book, the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction, the Carol Shields Award for best Winnipeg book, the Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher, the Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction, the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award and others. Past winners include Miriam Toews, David Bergen, Joan Thomas, W.P. Kinsella, Carol Shields and others.

## Winners

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Manitoba Book Awards winners  Year  | Award  | Author  | Title  | Ref.

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2007  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | Faith Johnston | A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen | [1]
Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry  | Laurie Block | Time out of Mind
Best Illustrated Book of the Year  |  | Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | Serena Keshavjee | Winnipeg Modern: Architecture 1945 to 1975
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Faith Johnston | A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen
John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award  | Anita Daher |
le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault  | Bathélemy Bolivar | Manguiers têtus
Manuela Dias Award for Book Design  | Relish Design | Going Downtown: A History of Portage Avenue
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | Melissa Steele | Beautiful Girl Thumb
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | Faith Johnston | A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Larry Verstraete | Lost Treasures: True Stories of Discovery
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Younger  | Colleen Sydor | Raise a Little Stink
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award | Faith Johnston | A Great Restlessness: the Life and Politics of Dorise Nielsen
2008  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | Jim Shilliday | Canada's Wheat King: The Life and Times of Seager Wheeler |
Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry  | Alison Calder | Wolf Tree |
Best Illustrated Book of the Year  | Frank Reimer Design  (design) and Ernest Mayer (photography)  | Take Comfort: the Career of Charles Comfort |
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | Roland Penner | A Glowing Dream: A Memoir |
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Alison Calder | Wolf Tree |
John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award  | Carolyn Gray |  |
Manuela Dias Award for Book Design  | Frank Reimer Design  (design) and Ernest Mayer (photography)  | Take Comfort: the Career of Charles Comfort |
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | Lois Braun | The Penance Drummer and Other Stories |
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | John Paskievich | The North End: Photographs by John Paskievich |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Kevin Marc Fournier | Sandbag Shuffle |
McNally Robinson Book of the Year  | Wayne Tefs | Be Wolf |
2009  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | J.M. Bumsted | Lord Selkirk: A Life |
Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry  | Rosanna Deerchild | this is a small northern town |
Best Illustrated Book of the Year  | Darlene Coward Wight and Frank Reimer  | The Harry Winrob Collection of Inuit Sculpture |
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | André Fauchon Carol J. Harvey  | Saint-Boniface 1908-2008 : reflets d'une ville |
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Daria Salamon | The Prairie Bridesmaid |
John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award  | Michael Van Rooy |  |
le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault  | Lise Gaboury-Diallo | L'endroit et l'envers |
Manuela Dias Award for Book Design  | Louise Duguay and Susan Chafe  | Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste |
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | David Bergen | The Retreat |
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | Louise Duguay | Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Colleen Sydor | My Mother is a French Fry and Further Proof of my Fuzzed-Up Life |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Younger  | Joe McLellan and Matrine McLellan  | Goose Girl |
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award | David Bergen | The Retreat |
2010  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | Robert J. Young | An American by Degrees: The Extraordinary Lives of French Ambassador Jules Jusserand |
Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry  | Jan Horner | Mama Dada |
Best Illustrated Book of the Year  | Gerry Kopelow | All Our Changes: Images from the Sixties Generation |
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | Esyllt W. Jones Gerald Friesen  | Prairie Metropolis: New Essays on Winnipeg Social History |
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Michael Nathanson | Talk |
John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award  | Ariel Gordon |  |
Manuela Dias Award for Book Design  | Zach Pauls | Dead on Arrival: Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba Journal 2009 |
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | Deborah Schnitzer | an unexpected break in the weather |
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | Heather Beattie and Barbara Huck  | Wild West: Nature Living on the Edge |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Eva Wiseman | Puppet |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Younger  | Colleen Sydor | Timmerman Was Here |
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award | Allan Levine | Coming of Age: A History of the Jewish People of Manitoba |
2011  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | Emma LaRocque | When the Other Is Me: Native Resistance Discourse, 1850-1990 |
Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry  | Ariel Gordon | Hump |
Best Illustrated Book of the Year  | Greg Chomichuk and John Toone with James Rewucki  | The Imagination Manifesto |
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | David Bergen | The Matter With Morris |
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Sheila McClarty | High Speed Crow |
John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award  | Michelle Elrick |  |
Le Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault  | Lise Gaboury-Diallo | Lointaines |
Manuela Dias Award for Book Design  | Jess Young | A Dogs Breakfast: A Chef's Guide to Healthy Home Cooking for Your Favorite Pooch |
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | David Bergen | The Matter With Morris |
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | Michelle Berry | I Still Don't Even Know You |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Maureen Fergus | Ortega |
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award | Dora Dueck | This Hidden Thing |
2012  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | Allan Levine | King: William Lyon MacKenzie King: A Life Guided by the Hand of Destiny |
Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry  | J. R. Léveillé | Poème Pierre Prière |
Best Illustrated Book of the Year  | Miriam Rudolph | David's Trip to Paraguay: The Land of Amazing Colours |
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | Sandi Krawchenko Altner | Ravenscraig |
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Sue Sorensen | A Large Harmonium |
John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award  | Jennifer Still |  |
Manuela Dias Award for Book Design  | J. R. Léveillé | Poème Pierre Prière |
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | Alison Preston | The Girl in the Wall |
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | W. P. Kinsella | Butterfly Winter |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Colleen Nelson | Tori by Design |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Younger  | Larry Verstraete | S is for Scientists: A Discovery Alphabet |
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award | Esmé Claire Keith | Not Being on a Boat |
Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction  | Susie Moloney | The Thirteen |
2013  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | Darlene Coward Wight | Creation and Transformation: Defining Moments in Inuit Art |
Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry  | Jonathan Ball | The Politics of Knives |
Best Illustrated Book of the Year  | Esyllt Jones | Imagining Winnipeg: History through the Photographs of L.B. Foote |
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | David Bergen | The Age of Hope |
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Kristian Enright | Sonar |
John Hirsch Most Promising Writer Award  | Kristian Enright |  |
Le Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault  | Raymond M. Hebert | La Révolution Tranquille |
Lifetime Achievement Award  | Dennis Cooley |  |
Manuela Dias Award for Book Design  | Nicole Hunt and Brandon Bergem  | Warehouse Journal Vol. 21 |
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | David Bergen | The Age of Hope |
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | Chadwick Ginther | Thunder Road |
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Kevin Marc Fournier | The Green-Eyed Queen of Suicide City |
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award | Meira Cook | The House on Sugarbush Road |
2021  | Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction  | David Robertson | Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Money | [2]
Book Design  | Julie Nagam (editor)  | Becoming Our Future: Global Indigenous Curatorial Practice
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award  | David Robertson | Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Money
Chris Johnson Award for Best Play by a Manitoba Playwright  | Lara Rae | Dragonfly
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book  | Andrew Unger | Once Removed
Graphic Novel  | Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm et al.  | This Place: 150 Years Retold
Illustration  | Lisa Boivin | I Will See You Again
Le Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault  | Amber O'Reilly | Boussole Franche
Manitowapow Award  | Duncan Mercredi and Lenard Monkman  |
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction  | Jonathan Ball | The Lightning of Possible Storms
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher  | Magdalene Redekop | Making Believe: Questions about Mennonites and Art
McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award \- Older  | Colleen Nelson | Harvey Comes Home
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award | David Bergen | Here the Dark | [3][2]

* Children's literature portal

## References

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1. ^ CBC Arts (2007-04-29). "Biography of Dorise Nielsen wins 4 Manitoba book awards". CBC. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
2. ^ a b Eva, Zhu (2021-05-21). "David A. Robertson wins two 2021 Manitoba Book Awards for memoir Black Water". CBC. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
3. ^ Sigurdson, Ben (2021-05-20). "Bergen wins book of the year a fourth time". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2022-02-11.

## External links

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* Manitoba Book Awards, official website