We love the BC Book Prizes here at AbeBooks. Granted, we’re a bit biased, given that we make our headquarters in British Columbia’s capital city (Victoria). But the prizes really are something special, highlighting the best written talent this beautiful province has to offer in seven categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, regional, children’s literature, illustrated children’s literature, and booksellers’ choice.

It’s now been 10 years that AbeBooks has been a proud sponsor of the prizes, in the Hubert Evans Award for Non-fiction category, and we couldn’t be more pleased to be along for the ride. A few years back I was lucky enough to attend the awards gala and dinner, and had such a memorable evening. Being in a room with so much talent and creativity is inspiring and humbling.

If you’re wondering who Hubert Evans was, he was born in 1892, and actually began his life in Ontario, not British Columbia, but moved to this province, in Roberts Creek, BC, in his early adulthood. Margaret Laurence called him “the elder of our tribe”. He was a Quaker, an avid outdoorsman, and a prolific writer. In the 70 active years of his career, he completed no fewer than 200 short stories, as well as several novels, plays, books of poetry and more, before his death in 1986. He is remembered and revered among writers, in BC, the rest of Canada, and beyond. That’s him pictured at left, on the cover of his biography: Hubert Evans: The First Ninety-Three Years by Alan Twigg.

Here are the finalists for the 2013 BC Book Prizes, in the non-fiction and fiction categories:

Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize

The Art of the Impossible: Dave Barrett and the NDP in Power, 1972-1975 by Geoff Meggs, Rod Mickleburgh

Into the Abyss: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop by Carol Shaben

Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page by Sandra Djwa

The Light through the Trees: Reflections on Land and Farming by Luanne Armstrong

Pinboy by George Bowering

Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize

Floating Like the Dead by Yasuko Thanh

Gay Dwarves of America by Anne Fleming

Malarky by Anakana Schofield

Psychology and Other Stories by C.P. Boyko

The World by Bill Gaston

The winners of all seven categories will be announced at the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala on Saturday, May 4, 2013, at Government House in Victoria. Congratulations and best of luck to all the finalists!