2021 Alberta Book Publishing Awards Shortlist
The moment we’ve been anticipating is here—the announcement of the 2021 Alberta Book Publishing Awards shortlist!
These awards, presented by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA), honour excellence in book publishing in our province across over a dozen categories. Established in 1994, these annual awards are a chance for the Alberta book community to take stock and celebrate all the amazing work that has been accomplished over this unusual and challenging year.
The winners will be awarded at a presentation, which will be held on the BPAA YouTube channel at 3PM MT on Friday, September 17! View it here: http://ow.ly/qP0g50G6tka and join the conversation on social media at #ABPubAwards / #ABbooks.
Click on the publisher name next to each shortlisted book listed below to find more information about that title. And click the “Shop Local” button at the top of the list, to find your local, independent bookstore.
Congratulations to this year’s finalists!
Find a bookstore near you:
Children’s & YA
The publishers nominated in this category are: Tyche Books, Renegade Arts Entertainment, and Red Barn Books, for the following books:
Hollow
by Rhonda Parrish
Published; Mar 24, 2020 by Tyche Books
ISBN: 9781989407141
Shea Proulx 
Published: Sep 16, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903880
Mandi Kujawa
, Hana Kujawa
Published: Sep 09, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903767
Ayesha Clough 
Published: Jun 01, 2020 by Red Barn Books
ISBN: 9781999108786
Speculative Fiction
The publishers nominated in this category are: Laksa Media Groups, Renegade Arts Entertainment, and NeWest Press, for the following books:
Susan Forest 
Published: Jun 08, 2021 by Laksa Media Groups Inc
ISBN: 9781988140223
Published: Oct 21, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781989754030
C.J. Lavigne 
Published: May 01, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781988732831
Learning
The publishers nominated in this category are: Athabasca University Press, and Brush Education, for the following books:
Martin Weller
Published: Feb 14, 2020 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771993050
Carole Massing
, Bonnie Anderson
, Carol Anderson 
Published: Aug 03, 2020 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550598582
Published: Feb 07, 2020 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550596854
Greg Clarkes 
Published: Jul 16, 2020 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550598414
Trade Fiction
The publishers nominated in this category are: NeWest Press, Stonehouse Publishing, and Freehand Books, for the following books:
John O'Neill 
Published: Nov 15, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781988732954
Anna Marie Sewell 
Published: Nov 02, 2020 by Stonehouse Publishing
ISBN: 9781988754246
Doreen Vanderstoop 
Published: May 01, 2020 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298597
Graphic Novel
The publisher nominated in this category is: Renegade Arts Entertainment, for the following books:
Mandi Kujawa
, Hana Kujawa
Published: Sep 09, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903767
Ryan Harby 
Published: Sep 09, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781989754023
Published: Oct 21, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781989754030
Poetry
The publishers nominated in this category are: NeWest Press, University of Calgary Press, and Frontenac House, for the following books:
Meredith Quartermain 
Published: Apr 01, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781988732787
Ken Hunt 
Published: Jun 15, 2020 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773850542
Lisa Richter 
Published: Nov 15, 2020 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466124
Bertrand Bickersteth 
Published: Apr 01, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781988732794
Trade Non-Fiction
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, NeWest Press, and Eschia Books, for the following books:
Dionne Brand 
Published: Jan 08, 2020 by Canadian Literature Centre / Centre de littérature canadienne
ISBN: 9781772125085
Anne Wheeler 
Published: Oct 15, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390016
Carrie Armstrong 
Published: Dec 01, 2020 by Eschia Books
ISBN: 9781926696645
Regional
The publishers nominated in this category are: Frontenac House, Red Barn Books, and NeWest Press, for the following books:
Mark Vitaris 
Published: Oct 01, 2020 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466070
Ayesha Clough 
Published: Jun 01, 2020 by Red Barn Books
ISBN: 9781999108786
Bertrand Bickersteth 
Published: Apr 01, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781988732794
Scholarly and Academic
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, and Athabasca University Press, for the following books:
Leslie McCartney
, Gwich'in Tribal Council
Published: Dec 09, 2020 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772124828
Kyle Conway 
Published: Mar 31, 2020 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771992930
Book Cover Design
The publishers nominated in this category are: Freehand Books, NeWest Press, and Athabasca University Press, for the following books, which feature book cover design by Natalie Olsen (Kisscut Design), and David Gee:
John Gould 
Published: May 01, 2020 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298566
Norm Boucher 
Published: Nov 15, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781988732985
Steven Heighton 
Published: Sep 30, 2020 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771993265
Book Design
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, Freehand Books, University of Calgary Press, and NeWest Press, for the following books, which feature book design by Alan Brownoff, Natalie Olsen (Kisscut Design), and Melina Cusano:
Published: Jan 06, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772124873
Leona Theis 
Published: Sep 01, 2020 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298719
Ken Hunt 
Published: Jun 15, 2020 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773850542
Bertrand Bickersteth 
Published: Apr 01, 2020 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781988732794
Book Illustration
The publishers nominated in this category are: Renegade Arts Entertainment, and Frontenac House, for the following books:
Shea Proulx 
Published: Sep 16, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903880
Rick Sealock 
Published: Nov 15, 2020 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781927823699
Tyler B. Perry 
Published: Nov 15, 2020 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466131
Lois Hole Award for Editorial Excellence
To be announced at the 2021 Alberta Book Publishing Awards
Special Achievement in Publishing Awards
To be announced at the 2021 Alberta Book Publishing Awards
“No Definition of Alberta Culture is complete without recognizing the herculean efforts of Alberta publishers to bring the prodigious talents of Canadian writers to eager readers everywhere.”
~ Steve Budnarchuk, Audreys Books