2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards Shortlist
The moment we’ve been waiting for is here—the announcement of the 2022 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 celebrate the finest of Alberta book publishing as determined by leading professionals in the book industry from across Canada, and showcase the wide range of Alberta-published books.
This year, jurors evaluated 63 submissions from Alberta publishers across 14 different categories. The “Douglas Barbour Award for Speculative Fiction,” (formerly the Speculative Fiction Book of the Year Award) was renamed in 2021 to honour Douglas Barbour. Douglas was a tireless supporter of Alberta’s book publishing community and a huge fan of this genre of book.
The BPAA will also be awarding the “Lifetime Achievement in Publishing Award” to an individual who has made a tremendous contribution to the world of books in Alberta.
The winners of the 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards will be announced at a gala reception at the Hotel Arts in Calgary on September 16, 2022. The gala is open to the public and more information on how to purchase tickets will be shared on the BPAA website in mid-July. Leading up to the gala, the featured categories and shortlisted titles will be highlighted on Facebook and Twitter. Follow along and join in the conversation using the hashtags #ABPubShortlist and #ABPubAwards.
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:
Douglas Barbour Award for Speculative Fiction
The publishers nominated in this category are: Laksa Media Groups, and Tyche Books Ltd., for the following books:
Vanessa Cardui
, Tyler Keevil
, Rich Larson 
Published: Aug 08, 2021 by Laksa Media Groups Inc.
ISBN: 9781988140179
Tying the Knot
by E.C. Bell
Published; April 27, 2021 by Tyche Books
ISBN: 9781989407257
Water: Selkies, Sirens, & Sea Monsters
Edited by Rhonda Parrish
Published; August 9, 2021 by Tyche Books
ISBN: 9781989407271
Learning
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, and Brush Education, for the following books:
Christine Sutherland 
Published: Jan 15, 2021 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550598506
Derek Truscott
, Kenneth H. Crook 
Published: Aug 11, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125429
Carole Massing
, Mary Lynne Matheson 
Published: Jul 06, 2021 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550598841
Trade Fiction
The publishers nominated in this category are: Freehand Books, NeWest Press, and University of Calgary Press, for the following books:
Karen Hofmann 
Published: May 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390177
Barb Howard 
Published: Sep 15, 2021 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773852164
Dawn Dumont 
Published: Sep 27, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298870
Amy LeBlanc 
Published: Jun 15, 2021 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773851396
Graphic Novel
The publisher nominated in this category is: Renegade Arts Entertainment, for the following books:
Yi-Sung Oliver Ho
, Daniel Reynolds
Published: Nov 04, 2021 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781989754061
Lovern Kindzierski 
Published: May 19, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903897
Kyle Simmers
, Ryan Danny Owen
Published: Oct 19, 2021 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903859
Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, and Frontenac House, for the following books:
Andrea Thompson 
Published: Nov 04, 2021 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466254
Daniel Lockhart 
Published: Nov 04, 2021 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466261
Rayanne Haines 
Published: Apr 15, 2021 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466216
Micheline Maylor 
Published: Mar 09, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125481
Book Illustration
The publishers nominated in this category are: Red Barn Books, Renegade Arts Entertainment, and Durvile & UpRoute Books, for the following books:
Pat Hatherly 
Published: Oct 10, 2021 by Red Barn Books
ISBN: 9781989915028
Kyle Simmers
, Ryan Danny Owen
Published: Oct 19, 2021 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903859
Rich Théroux 
Published: Feb 15, 2022 by Durvile Publications
ISBN: 9781988824949
Trade Non-Fiction
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, Freehand Books, and Athabasca University Press, for the following books:
Susan Olding 
Published: May 01, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298818
Published: Nov 30, 2021 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771992572
Published: Sep 07, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125818
Ken Haigh 
Published: Sep 16, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125450
Sharon Butala 
Published: Sep 13, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298962
Regional
The publishers nominated in this category are: Athabasca University Press, University of Calgary Press, and NeWest Press, for the following books:
Published: Nov 30, 2021 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771992572
Nisha Patel 
Published: Apr 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390238
Noel Keough 
Published: Sep 15, 2021 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773852485
Scholarly and Academic
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, and Athabasca University Press, for the following books:
Published: Jun 10, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125436
Amber, Bev, Chantel
Published: Sep 15, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125498
Published: Apr 15, 2021 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771992893
Book Cover Design
The publishers nominated in this category are: University of Alberta Press, NeWest Press, Athabasca University Press, and Freehand Books, for the following books:
Jennifer Bowering Delisle 
Published: Mar 05, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125474
Published: Sep 07, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125818
Andy Zuliani 
Published: Oct 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390344
Published: Jun 30, 2021 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771993272
Georgina Beaty 
Published: Sep 27, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298931
Book Design
The publishers nominated in this category are: NeWest Press, Freehand Books, and University of Alberta Press, for the following books:
Nisha Patel 
Published: Apr 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390238
Cary Fagan 
Published: Sep 13, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298900
Ken Haigh 
Published: Sep 16, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125450
Carol Steski 
Published: Sep 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390283
Published: Dec 17, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125788
Children’s & YA
To be announced at the 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards
Emerging Publisher of the Year Award
To be announced at the 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards
Lifetime Achievement in Publishing Award
To be announced at the 2022 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