The best of the West Coast’s writers and publishers have made their way onto this year’s B.C. Book Prize shortlist, spanning seven categories ranging from children’s literature to poetry to original non-fiction.

The winners, each of whom receive $2,000, will be announced May 4 at the Lieutenant Governor’s B.C. Book Prizes Gala along with the recipient of the $5,000 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence.

Established in 1985, the awards are organized by the non-profit West Coast Book Prize Society.

Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize (best fiction book)

• C.P. Boyko, Psychology and Other Stories (Biblioasis)
• Anne Fleming, Gay Dwarves of America (Pedlar Press)
• Bill Gaston, The World (Hamish Hamilton Canada)
• Anakana Schofield, Malarky (Biblioasis)
• Yasuko Thanh, Floating Like the Dead (McClelland & Stewart)

Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize (best B.C.-based book)

• Aaron Chapman, Liquor, Lust, and the Law: The Story of Vancouver’s Legendary Penthouse Nightclub (Arsenal Pulp Press)
• Jackson Davies and Marc Strange, Bruno and the Beach: The Beachcombers at 40 (Harbour Publishing)
• Derek Hayes, British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas (Douglas & McIntyre)
• Ali Kazimi, Undesirables: White Canada and the Komagata Maru “ An Illustrated History (D&M)
• Leslie A. Robertson and Kwagu’l Gixsam Clan, Standing Up with Ga’axsta’las: Jane Constance Cook and the Politics of Memory, Church, and Custom (University of British Columbia Press)

Hubert Evans Non-fiction Prize (best non-fiction book)

• Luanne Armstrong, The Light through the Trees: Reflections on Land and Farming (Caitlin Press)
• George Bowering, Pinboy (Cormorant Books)
• Sandra Djwa, Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page (McGill-Queen’s University Press)
• Geoff Meggs and Rod Mickleburgh, The Art of the Impossible: Dave Barrett and the NDP in Power, 1972“1975 (Harbour)
• Carol Shaben, Into the Abyss: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop (Random House Canada)

Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize (best work of poetry)

• Colin Browne, The Properties (Talonbooks)
• Sarah de Leeuw, Geographies of a Lover (NeWest Press)
• Roger Farr, IKMQ (New Star Books)
• Evelyn Lau, A Grain of Rice (Oolichan Books)
• Patricia Young, Night-Eater (Quattro Books)

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize

• Vivien Bowers; Milan Pavlovic, illus., Hey Canada! (Tundra Books)
• Tiffany Stone; Stefan Czernecki, illus., Rainbow Shoes (Tradewind Books)
• Kari-Lynn Winters; Stephen Taylor, illus., Gift Days (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
• Frieda Wishinsky; Sean L. Moore, illus., What’s Up, Bear? A Book About Opposites (Owlkids Books)
• Alan Woo; Isabelle Malenfant, illus., Maggie’s Chopsticks (Kids Can Press)

Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize (best non-illustrated children’s book)

• Caroline Adderson, Middle of Nowhere (Groundwood Books)
• Rachel Hartman, Seraphina (Doubleday Canada)
• John Lekich, The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls (Orca Book Publishers)
• Victoria Miles, Mimi Power and the I-Don’t-Know-What (Tradewind)
• Susin Nielsen, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (Tundra)

Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award

• Jackson Davies and Marc Strange, Bruno and the Beach: The Beachcombers at 40 (Harbour)
•  Shelley Fralic, Making Headlines: 100 Years of The Vancouver Sun (The Vancouver Sun)
• Daniel Francis, Trucking in British Columbia: An Illustrated History (Harbour)
• Derek Hayes, British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas (D&M)
• Harold Kalman and Robin Ward, Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide (D&M)