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Awards Spotlight

Like a proud parent, we want to brag about our publishers’ achievements— so this week, we are shining a spotlight on award-winning and shortlisted Alberta books from the past year.

This selection of books is just a small snapshot of the breadth and quality of Alberta’s book publishing industry, and we encourage you to discover more Alberta-published books from your local independent bookstore and public library.

Congratulations to all of the winning and shortlisted authors and publishers!

Find a bookstore near you!

Laberinto Press

Emerging Publisher of the Year at the 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards!

BEYOND THE GALLERY

Silver Medal, Best Culturally Themed Academic Book, 2022 International Latino Book Awards

Beyond the Gallery an Anthology of Visual Encounters: An Anthology of Visual Encounters

Published: Oct 15, 2021 by Laberinto Press
ISBN: 9781777085919

Red Barn Books

ALBERTA BLUE

Winner, Children’s & Young Adult Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Alberta Blue: A prairie sky lullaby

Pat Hatherly (CA)

Published: Oct 10, 2021 by Red Barn Books
ISBN: 9781989915028

NeWest Press

EZRA’S GHOSTS

Shortlisted, Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize (The winner will be announced Nov 2, so stay tuned!)

Ezra's Ghosts: Stories

Darcy Tamayose (CA)

Published: Apr 15, 2022 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390474

 

BURNING THE NIGHT

Winner, 2022 Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize

Burning the Night

Glen Huser (CA)

Published: May 15, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390115

 

THE CINE STAR SALON

Gold, Multicultural Fiction, 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards

Cine Star Salon, The

Leah Ranada (CA)

Published: Oct 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390320

 

A BRIEF VIEW FROM THE COASTAL SUITE

Silver, Canada-West — Best Regional Fiction, 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards

Brief View from the Coastal Suite, A

Karen Hofmann (CA)

Published: May 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390177

 

LAST TIDE

Bronze, Canada-West — Best Regional Fiction, 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards

Last Tide

Andy Zuliani (CA)

Published: Oct 01, 2021 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774390344

Brush Education

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE

Winner, Learning Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care: An Intercultural Perspective

Carole Massing (CA), Mary Lynne Matheson (CA)

Published: Jul 06, 2021 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550598841

 

DYING IN GOOD HANDS

Shortlisted, Learning Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Dying in Good Hands: Palliative Massage and the Power of Touch

Christine Sutherland (CA)

Published: Jan 15, 2021 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550598506

Renegade Arts Entertainment

ELECTRIC VICE

Winner, Graphic Novel of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

The creators were also shortlisted for The Nipper: Doug Wright Award for Emerging Talent!

Electric Vice

Kyle Simmers (CA), Ryan Danny Owen

Published: Oct 19, 2021 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903859

 

HELL’S FLAW

Artist John Bolton was nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist for his illustrations in Hell’s Flaw.

Hell's Flaw (Shame #5)

Lovern Kindzierski (CA)

Published: May 19, 2020 by Renegade Arts Entertainment
ISBN: 9781988903897

University of Calgary Press

HAPPY SANDS

Shortlisted, Trade Fiction Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Happy Sands

Barb Howard (CA)

Published: Sep 15, 2021 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773852164

 

SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS

Shortlisted, Regional Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Sustainability Matters: Prospects for a Just Transition in Calgary, Canada’s Petro-City

Noel Keough (CA)

Published: Sep 15, 2021 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773852485

 

UNLOCKING

Shortlisted, Trade Fiction Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Unlocking

Amy LeBlanc (CA)

Published: Jun 15, 2021 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773851396

Frontenac House

A SELECTED HISTORY OF SOUL SPEAK

Shortlisted, Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

A Selected History of Soul Speak

Andrea Thompson (CA)

Published: Nov 04, 2021 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466254

 

BEARMEN DESCEND UPON GIMLI

Shortlisted, Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Bearmen Descend Upon Gimli

Daniel Lockhart (CA)

Published: Nov 04, 2021 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466261

 

TELL THE BIRDS YOUR BODY IS NOT A GUN

Shortlisted, Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Tell the Birds Your Body is Not a Gun

Rayanne Haines (CA)

Published: Apr 15, 2021 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466216

Tyche Books

WATER

Winner, Douglas Barbour Award for Speculative Fiction, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Water: Selkies, Sirens, and Sea Monsters booc cover image
Water: Selkies, Sirens, & Sea Monsters
Edited by Rhonda Parrish
Published; August 9, 2021 by Tyche Books
ISBN: 9781989407271

 

 

TYING THE KNOT

Shortlisted, Douglas Barbour Award for Speculative Fiction, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Tying the Knot book cover imageTying the Knot
by E.C. Bell
Published; April 27, 2021 by Tyche Books
ISBN: 9781989407257 

Durvile & UpRoute Books

THE RIVER TROLL

Winner, Book Illustration, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Gold, 2022 COVR Visionary Awards

The River Troll: A Story About Love in Color

Rich Théroux (CA)

Published: Feb 15, 2022 by Durvile Publications
ISBN: 9781988824949

Freehand Books

GREAT ADVENTURES FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

Winner, Fiction, 2022 Canadian Jewish Literary Award

Great Adventures for the Faint of Heart

Cary Fagan (CA)

Published: Sep 13, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298900

 

THE PRAIRIE CHICKEN DANCE TOUR

Shortlisted, 2022 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour

Winner, Trade Fiction Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour

Dawn Dumont (CA)

Published: Sep 27, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298870

 

BIG READER

Shortlisted, Fred Kerner Book Award

Big Reader: Essays

Susan Olding (CA)

Published: May 01, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298818

 

THE LOVER, THE LAKE

Shortlisted, Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation

The Lover, the Lake

Virginia Pesemapeo Bordeleau (CA)

Published: May 01, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298849

 

THE END OF ME

Honourable Mention, Alcuin Award for Prose Fiction, The Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design

The End of Me

John Gould (CA)

Published: May 01, 2020 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298566

Laksa Media Groups Inc.

SEASONS BETWEEN US

Finalist, Best Related Work, Aurora Awards

Finalist, Anthologies, Foreword INDIES Awards

Shortlisted, Douglas Barbour Award for Speculative Fiction, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Seasons Between Us also includes stories that were finalists for Best Novelette/Novella and Best Short Story at the Aurora Awards

Seasons Between Us: Tales of Identities and Memories

Vanessa Cardui (CA), Tyler Keevil (CA), Rich Larson (CA)

Published: Aug 08, 2021 by Laksa Media Groups Inc.
ISBN: 9781988140179

Athabasca University Press

BUCKING CONSERVATISM

Winner, Regional Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Bucking Conservatism: Alternative Stories of Alberta from the 1960s and 1970s

Published: Nov 30, 2021 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771992572

 

REGIME OF OBSTRUCTION

Winner, Scholarly and Academic Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Regime of Obstruction: How Corporate Power Blocks Energy Democracy

Published: Apr 15, 2021 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771992893

 

25 YEARS OF ED TECH

Finalist, Education/Academic, 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

25 Years of Ed Tech

Martin Weller

Published: Feb 14, 2020 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771993050

 

TRUTH BEHIND BARS

Shortlisted, 2022 Wallace K. Ferguson Book Prize, Canadian Historical Association

"Truth Behind Bars": Reflections on the Fate of the Russian Revolution

Paul Kellogg

Published: Nov 30, 2021 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771992459

University of Alberta Press

IMPACT

Winner, Trade Non-Fiction Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Impact: Women Writing After Concussion

Published: Sep 07, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125818

 

ON FOOT TO CANTERBURY

Winner, Book Design, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

On Foot to Canterbury: A Son’s Pilgrimage

Ken Haigh (CA)

Published: Sep 16, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125450

 

THE BAD WIFE

Winner, Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

The Bad Wife

Micheline Maylor (CA)

Published: Mar 09, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125481

 

INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND STREET GANGS

Shortlisted, Scholarly & Academic Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Indigenous Women and Street Gangs

Amber, Bev, Chantel

Published: Sep 15, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125498

 

APPEALING BECAUSE HE IS APPALLING

Shortlisted, Scholarly & Academic Book of the Year, 2022 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

Appealing Because He Is Appalling: Black Masculinities, Colonialism, and Erotic Racism

Published: Jun 10, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125436