The shortlist for this year’s City of Vancouver Book Award was announced last week. The $3,000 award aims to recognize excellent works of any genre that commemorate the city’s unique history, culture, and residents.

The finalists are:

• Bruce Grierson, for his biography What Makes Olga Run? (Random House Canada)
• Doretta Lau, for her short-story collection How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? (Nightwood Editions)
• Ashley Little, for her novel Anatomy of a Girl Gang (Arsenal Pulp Press)
• Billeh Nickerson, for his book of poetry Artificial Cherry (Arsenal Pulp Press)
• David Stouck, for his non-fiction work Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life (Douglas & McIntyre)

The award will be presented on Oct. 7.