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.

This year’s winners show that talent in Beautiful British Columbia is shining just as brightly as ever:

Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize winner: The Art of the Impossible: Dave Barrett and the NDP in Power, 1972-1975 by Geoff Meggs, Rod Mickleburgh
From 1972-1975, Premier Dave Barrett and his team passed more legislation in a shorter time than any government before or since. A university or college student graduating today in BC may have been born years after Barrett’s defeat, but could attend a Barrett daycare, live on a farm in Barrett’s Agricultural Land Reserve, be rushed to hospital in a provincial ambulance created by Barrett’s government and attend college in a community institution founded by his government. The continuing polarization of BC politics also dates back to Barrett—the Fraser Institute and the right-wing economic policies it preaches are as much a legacy of the Barrett years as the ALR. Dave Barrett remains a unique and important figure in BC’s history, a symbol of how much can be achieved in government and a reminder of how quickly those achievements can be forgotten.

Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize winner: The World by Bill Gaston
A recently divorced, early retiree accidentally burns down his house on the day he pays off the mortgage, only to discover that he’s forgotten to pay his insurance premium. An old friend of his prepares for her suicide to end the pain of esophageal cancer. Her father ends his days in a Toronto facility for Alzheimer’s patients. The three are tied together by their bonds of affection and a book called The World, written by the old man in his youth. The book, possibly biographical, tells the story of a historian who unearths a cache of letters, written in Chinese, in an abandoned leper colony off the coast of Victoria. He and the young Chinese translator fall in love, only to betray each other in the cruellest way possible, each violating what the other reveres most.

Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize winner: Geographies of a Lover by Sarah de Leeuw
Drawing inspiration from such works as Pauline Réage’s The Story of O and Marian Engel’s Bear, poet Sarah de Leeuw uses the varied landscape of Canada—from the forests of North Vancouver through the Rocky Mountains, the prairies, and all the way to the Maritimes—to map the highs and lows of an explicit and raw sexual journey, from earliest infatuation to insatiable obsession and beyond.

Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize winner: British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas by Derek Hayes
Over 900 maps tell the story of the planners, schemers, gold seekers and fur traders who built BC. When gold was discovered in quantity in 1858, leading to the gold rush that created BC, the interior of the province was mostly unknown except for the routes blazed by fur traders. Thirteen years later, BC became a province of Canada, and a transcontinental railway was built to connect the land west of the Rocky Mountains with the rest of the country. The efforts of these explorers, fur traders, gold seekers and railway builders involved the production of maps that showed what they had found and what they proposed to do—the plans and the strategies that created the province we know today. Master map historian Derek Hayes continues his renowned Historical Atlas Series with a richly rewarding treasure trove, bringing to light the dramatic history of BC.

Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize winner: Middle of Nowhere by Caroline Adderson
When his mother doesn’t return from her all-night job at the local gas bar, Curtis must keep her absence a secret and look after himself and his five-year old brother, Artie. He knows exactly what will happen if any of the teachers find out the truth. He remembers his last foster home all too clearly. But when it all becomes too much for him to handle, Curtis and Artie befriend Mrs. Burt, the cranky, lonely old lady across the street. When the authorities start to investigate, Mrs. Burt and the boys abscond to her remote cabin by the lake. At the lake, the boys’ days are filled with wood-chopping, outhouse-building, fishing, swimming and Mrs. Burt’s wonderful cooking. But then the weather grows colder, and Mrs. Burt seems to be preparing to spend the winter at the cabin. Have they really all just absconded to the lake for a summer holiday? Or have the two boys been kidnapped?

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize winner: Maggie’s Chopsticks by Alan Woo Poor Maggie struggles to master her chopsticks — it seems nearly everyone around the dinner table has something to say about the “right” way to hold them! But when Father reminds her not to worry about everyone else, Maggie finally gets a grip on an important lesson.

Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award winner: Making Headlines: 100 Years of The Vancouver Sun by Shelley Fralic, with research by Kate Bird
This book is a celebration of The Vancouver Sun‘s first 100 years. It tells the story of Vancouver and the world through the eyes of a newspaper. Decade by decade, it provides fascinating stories from the sinking of the Titanic (just two months after its first issue), through wars, riots, parades, Royal visits and the Olympic Games. Filled with stunning images shot by The Sun‘s award winning photographers, it celebrates all that the newspaper has been, all that it is and all that it will continue to be as The Sun continues to offer all of us that first draft of history.

The winners were announced at a gala dinner at Government House in Victoria on May 4th. Congratulations to the winners, and to all the nominees.

Our friends at English PEN, an organization devoted to literary freedom, are staging an exciting event later this month when 50 modern first editions are to be auctioned. However, these are no ordinary first editions. All the books have been annotated, usually at length and in great detail, by their authors specially for the ‘First Editions, Second Thoughts’ auction.

Many famous authors have added annotations, commentary or illustrations, including Margaret Atwood, Julian Barnes, Alan Bennett, William Boyd, Margaret Drabble, Helen Fielding, Nadine Gordimer, David Hare, Seamus Heaney, Kazuo Ishiguro, Howard Jacobson, Ian McEwan, Michael Morpurgo, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Shriver, Ralph Steadman, Tom Stoppard and Jeanette Winterson.

The authors have explained their inspiration for characters and scenes, added background information, context, and details about why plots took a particular turn.

J.K. Rowling added annotations on 43 pages of a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (yes, a real first edition, first printing – one of the 500 from the initial Bloomsbury print run). Rowling’s annotations include 22 illustrations and 1100 words.

Hilary Mantel added annotations on 123 pages of a Wolf Hall first edition, which included 2,650 words.

DBC Pierre added annotations on 188 pages of a first edition of Vernon God Little, which included illustrations on 57 pages and about 3,400 words.

Julian Barnes added annotations on 68 pages of a Metroland first edition, worth about 2,300 words.

Ralph Steadman added new illustrations on 55 pages of a first edition of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, including 14 full page and four double page ink drawings across the text and rear end-pages. He also added two portraits of Hunter S. Thompson, the book’s author.

I could go on and on. Here’s the full list.

The auction takes place at 7:30pm on Tuesday, May 21st at Sotheby’s in London. The books can be viewed on Monday May 20th and on the day of the sale from 9am to 4:30pm. All proceeds will benefit English PEN. To attend the auction, order a printed catalogue, or arrange a telephone bid, contact Sotheby’s.

The Orphan Master’s Son is only Johnson’s third novel (after Emporium and Parasites like Us) but he has also published a number of short stories which have appeared in Harper’s, Esquire and various Reviews.  In addition to today’s Pulitzer prize Johnson has previously won the Debut Writer of the Year from Amazon.com in 2002, and was recently awarded a National Endowment for the Arts.

As with most Pulitzer Prize winning books, sales for The Orphan Master’s Son are expected to climb in coming days.  AbeBooks.com has already seen a spike in the sale of signed copies of The Orphan Master’s Son on AbeBooks.com directly after the award was announced this afternoon.

Other finalists for the Fiction prize were  What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank  by Nathan Englander and The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. In other awards Sharon Olds won the poetry award for her collection Stag’s Leap and Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King was given the non-fiction prize.

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!

It tells the story of Shannon, born to a mother in the midst of turmoil and subsequently left behind at the door of the YMCA, where a man is quietly watching from his vehicle. The story is gripping from the get-go, and very hard to put down, as readers and critics far and wide have agreed.

Just 31 years old, one might expect Celona to be head-in-the-clouds giddy with all the attention, but she remains firmly rooted to the ground and down-to-Earth. We got to catch up with her and hear all about her sense of belonging, growing up on Vancouver Island, her favorite books, and how it is essential to work with a dog at (or on) one’s feet. Read on for an interview with Marjorie Celona.

Congratulations to Hilary Mantel. As predicted by many, her novel Bring up the Bodies has just been announced in London’s Guildhall as the winner of this year’s £50,000 Man Booker Prize award. This also means that signed copies of Bring Up the Bodies will increase in value very quickly, so jump on it if you want one.

The announcement makes Mantel the first British author ever to be awarded the Booker Prize twice (she won previously in 2009 for Wolf Hall). Both Peter Carey (Australia) and J.M. Coetzee (South Africa) have won the prize twice.

The Booker Prize judges had the simultaneously daunting and enviable task of selecting just 12 semi-finalists for the longlist, down from a list of 145 submissions. Then from the 12 that made the longlist, they cut away half, leaving just six novels for the shortlist, including the winner. The other five finalists consisted of:

Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
The Lighthouse by Alison Moore
Umbrella by Will Self
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

All six of the shortlisted authors receive £2,500.

The Booker Prize was first awarded in 1969, and goes to the judges’ determination of best English language full-length novel. There were some murmurs and grumbles of dissent last year around that rule, as the 2011 award went to Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending which many assert should be classified as a novella at only 150 pages.

Enormous admiration and congratulations to the winner, the finalists, and even all those who made the longlist – an astonishing accomplishment, and a sign of excellent literature. We will be sure to read as many as we can.

At the same gala on October 12th, author Caitlyn Vernon was awarded the 5th annual Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize for her celebrated work Nowhere Else on Earth; Standing Tall for the Great Bear Rainforest. Her offering is a stunningly beautiful collection of information, stories and images from BC’s central coastal rainforest, with a mind to protect and preserve.

Each author was awarded $5,000.

The parties responsible for funding the prize for 2013 include Cherie Blair, author Joanna Trollope, and English businesswoman Martha Lane Fox, as well as ebook company Bilbary and Foyles bookshop chairman Christopher Foyle.

Time will tell who will come forward to sponsor the prize, which for now reverts to its original name of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The prize, which was first awarded in 1996, exists to celebrate outstanding literary contributions from a female author. An original, full-length novel from any female author of any nationality is eligible, provided the novel is English-language. We have an interview with Madeline Miller, whose debut novel The Song of Achilles won the prize for 2012.

The shortlist has been announced for this year’s Man Booker Prize. The judges went from a list of 145 novels down to just 12 titles for the longlist, down to these six finalists.

Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
The Lighthouse by Alison Moore
Umbrella by Will Self
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

Most of the opinions seem to lean toward Hilary Mantel taking the prize, but my money is on Narcopolis, Jeet Thayil’s exploration of heroin addiction in Mumbai, India. The winner will be announced October 16th, and will receive £50,000 (~$80,000).

Do people really bet seriously on these outcomes, I wonder? What would you call the people who take the bets – Booker bookies? The bookies for bookies? Booker book bookies? Food for thought.

Chair of judges Peter Stothard told the Guardian it had been an extraordinary year for fiction. “Goodness, madness and bewildering urban change are among the themes of this year’s longlist,” he said.

The shortlist of six finalists will be announced on September 11th. The winner, announced in October, will be awarded £50,000 (about US $77,000).

Here is the 2012 Booker Prize Longlist:

The Yips by Nicola Barker;

The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman;

Philida by André Brink ;

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng;

Skios by Michael Frayn;

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce;

Swimming Home by Deborah Levy;

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel;

The Lighthouse by Alison Moore;(not yet available)

Umbrella by Will Self; (not yet available)

Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil;

Communion Town by Sam Thompson.

Coincidentally, I just last finished reading The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, which was the 2011 victor. It is a mysterious, introspective, thoughtful book, much of which takes place through the memories, ruminations and speculation of the main character and narrator. I enjoyed it and fnd my mind is still chewing it over today, which is a good sign. One item of note, though – the Booker Prize is for an English language full-length novel, and at about 160 pages, The Sense of an Ending was such a quick read I feel as though it barely qualified. Still, it packs a lot into those pages. Well worth a read.