CBC Books, CBC’s online home for literary content, together with its partners—the Canada Council for the Arts, Air Canada enRoute magazine and The Banff Centre—announced today the winner of the 2015 CBC Creative Nonfiction Prize.
Carrie Mac of Vancouver, B.C. won the grand prize for If You Have a Good Seal, the Chest Will Rise. The story was selected from more than 1700 works received from across the country. You can read If You Have a Good Seal, the Chest Will Rise at CBCBooks.ca.
As grand-prize winner, Mac will receive $6000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and her story will be published in the October edition of Air Canada enRoute magazine. She will also receive a 10-day writing residency at The Banff Centre.
The jury was composed of writers Kamal Al-Solaylee, Michael Harris and Merrily Weisbord, who said ” If You Have a Good Seal is a startling, hard-hitting story that lets us ride along with a newbie paramedic. Written with crisis energy and a real vulnerability, this dramatic piece takes us to a place few writers can access… an affecting and mind-bending read.”
Carrie Mac is the author of several novels for young readers, as well as literary short fiction. She lives with her partner and two children in East Vancouver, overlooking the shipping yards, where she is working on a novel and polishing a collection of short fiction. During her eight years as a paramedic she witnessed tragedy and chaos and tiny, shimmering moments which have inspired her writing ever since.
CBC Books also announced Chantal Garand as the winner of the French grand prize this morning: forUn hibou, un Égyptien et l’étrangère.” For more information, please go to ICI.Radio-canada.ca/icionlit.
The four runners-up for the CBC Creative Nonfiction Prize are Marusya Bociurkiw (Toronto, Ontario) for Battery,Traci Skuce (Cumberland, B.C.) for Fugitive, Kayal Vizhi (Ottawa, Ontario) for Salt, and Richard Wagamese (Kamloops, B.C.) for Finding Father. Each runner-up will receive $1000 from the Canada Council for the Arts.
For more information on the awards, please visit CBCBooks.ca.
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About CBC Books
CBCbooks.ca features all of CBC’s rich literary content and major events and programs such as Canada Reads, Canada Writes, The Next Chapter, and Writers & Company. This one-stop destination for book lovers and writers includes exclusive interviews with authors, the latest literary news stories, book recommendations and writing competitions.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada’s new strategy to modernize the public broadcaster and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians and for future generations. Through to 2020, it will increase its investment in prime time television programming, and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.
Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s national public arts funder. We champion and invest in artistic
excellence so that Canadians may enjoy and participate in a rich cultural life. In 2013-14 we allocated $153.6 million dollars towards artistic creation
and innovation through our grants, prizes and payments. We also conduct research, convene activities and work with partners to advance the sector and help
embed the arts more deeply in communities across the country. We are responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO to
contribute to a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future for Canadians. The Canada Council Art Bank operates
art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts.
About Air Canada enRoute magazine
Air Canada enRoute magazine is seen by over 1 million readers each month. The magazine - available exclusively on all Air Canada flights and in Maple Leaf Lounges worldwide as well as in select hotels and boutiques across North America - is an inspirational authority for the global traveler, known for its strong visual presence and innovative design. Air Canada enRoute is published by Spafax, one of the world’s leading content marketing agencies.
About The Banff Centre
The Banff Centre ‘s mission is inspiring creativity. Thousands of artists, leaders, and researchers from across Canada and around the world participate in programs at The Banff Centre every year. Through its multidisciplinary programming, The Banff Centre provides them with the support they need to create, to develop solutions, and to make the impossible possible.
For further information, contact:
Nicola Makoway Diane Hargrave
Publicist, CBC Books Diane Hargrave Public Relations
nicola.makoway@cbc.ca dhprbks@interlog.com
416-205-7673 416-467-9954
