ABEBOOKS CELEBRATES LOCAL PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE WITH SPONSORSHIP OF 20TH ANNUAL BRITISH COLUMBIA BOOK PRIZES

AbeBooks sponsors Antiquarian Book Fair in the Pacific Northwest to recognize local sellers who helped AbeBooks.com grow

(Victoria, BC, May 1, 2004) -AbeBooks.com, the world's largest online marketplace for books, is pleased to congratulate Donald Luxton winner of the Haig-Brown Regional Book Prize, for his book, "Building the West: The Early Architect of British Columbia", published by Talonbooks. AbeBooks, based in Victoria British Columbia, sponsored this award at this year's BC Book Prizes.

Boris Wertz, AbeBooks Chief Operating Officer, attended the May 1st awards ceremony and commented on the event: "The writing and publishing that happens here in British Columbia is first class and we want to support that. The bookselling and publishing world has always encouraged what AbeBooks is about, and we thank them."

The BC Book Prizes were established in 1985 to celebrate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers. Eight prizes were awarded on Saturday May 1st at a gala dinner event at Government House in Victoria-the ceremonial Home of all British Columbians-hosted by the honourable Lieutenant Governor, Iona Campagnolo.

Winners of British Columbia Book Prizes 2004

Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize - Caroline Adderson, Sitting Practice, (Thomas Allen)
Haig-Brown Regional Prize - Donald Luxton , Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia (Talonbooks)
Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize - Maria Tippett Bill Reid: The Making of an Indian
(Random House Canada)
Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice - R. Samuel Bawlf and Douglas & McIntyre The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake, 1577-1580
Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize - Philip Kevin Paul Taking the Names Down from the Hill
(Nightwood Editions)
Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize - Linda Bailey and Bill Slavin Stanley's Party (Kids Can Press)
Sheila Egoff Children's Prize - Dennis Foon Skud (Groundwood Books)
Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence - P.K. (Patricia Kathleen) Page

These books and backlist tiles for BC Book Prize finalists are available on www.abebooks.com. For more information on the BC Book Prizes visit www.bcbookprizes.ca

About AbeBooks
AbeBooks is the world's largest online marketplace for books. AbeBooks makes it simple and safe to find and buy-or list and sell-new, used, rare, and out-of-print books online. Bookbuyers love the variety of over 50 million books offered by more than 12,000 independent booksellers. Booksellers love AbeBooks for providing the tools to help them succeed online. AbeBooks offers a range of services including dedicated support, HomeBase inventory management software, options for selling via strategic partners (Amazon, Barnes & Noble), and four international sites (AbeBooks.com, AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.fr). AbeBooks is a private company based in Victoria, BC Canada, with offices in Düsseldorf, Germany.

-- end --

Contacts
Richard Davies, PR & Publicity Mgr., AbeBooks.com
Ph: 250-412-3238
rdavies@abebooks.com

Mike Elcock, Sidney Antiquarian Book Fair
Michael.Elcock@millymolly.com T:(250) 642-3793