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Hilary Weston prize adds two jurors

The $60,000 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-fiction is about to announce its sophomore shortlist, and this year there are some changes.

First up, the announcement will be made in an unconventional setting: The canteen at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens location of Loblaws. (The Weston family owns a controlling interest in the grocery chain.) Last week, it was announced that the five titles shortlisted for the prize would be sold in 200 Loblaws locations across the country.

And today comes the revelation that the three-person jury will be augmented by two additional jurors. Already announced as jurors are former Ontario Lieutenant Governor James Bartleman, author Charlotte Gill (whose book Eating Dirt was shortlisted for last year’s inaugural award), and author Marni Jackson. According to a press release, two more jurors will join this panel to deliberate the final winner.

The identities of the two new jury members will be revealed tomorrow at the shortlist announcement. The press release heavily suggests that the new jurors come from outside the literary community, saying that they are “accomplished and respected in their fields,” and that they “will no doubt add a unique dimension to this year’s prize.”