The Manitoba Writers’ Guild and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers have revealed the finalists for the annual Manitoba Book Awards, recognizing the best titles by Manitoba authors.

The shortlists are:

Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-fiction

• Maurice Mierau, Detachment: An Adoption Memoir (Freehand Books)
• Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Indigenous Women, Work, and History: 1940–1980 (University of Manitoba Press)
• Jody Perrun, The Patriotic Consensus: Unity, Morale, and the Second World War in Winnipeg (UMP)
• Orest T. Martynowych, The Showman and the The Ukrainian Cause: Folk Dance, Film, and the Life of Vasile Avramenko (UMP)
• Allan Levine, Toronto: Biography of a City (Douglas & McIntyre)

Beatrice Mosionier Aboriginal Writer of the Year Award

• Deborah L. Delaronde
• David Alexander Robertson
• Katherena Vermette

Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award

• Wayne Tefs, Barker (Turnstone Press)
• Jonathan Ball, John Paizs’s Crime Wave (University of Toronto Press)
• Joan Thomas, The Opening Sky (M&S)
• Jody Perrun, The Patriotic Consensus: Unity, Morale, and the Second World War in Winnipeg (UMP)
• Catherine Macdonald, Put on the Armour of Light (Dundurn Press)

The Chris Johnson Award for Best Play by a Manitoba Playwright

• Marc Prescott, Fort Mac (Les Éditions du Blé)
• Deborah Patterson, Sargent & Victor & Me (Theatre Projects Manitoba)
• Carolyn Gray, The Miser of Middlegate (Scirocco Drama)
• Rick Chafe, The Secret Mask (Playwrights Canada Press)

Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book

• Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Indigenous Women, Work, and History (UMP)
• Brenda Sciberras, Magpie Days (Turnstone)
• Jody Perrun, The Patriotic Consensus (UMP)
• Luann Hiebert, What Lies Behind (Turnstone)

John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer

• MC Joudrey
• David Alexander Robertson
• Brenda Sciberras

Lansdowne Prize for Poetry

• Laurent Poliquin, De l’amuïssement des certitudes (Jacques André Editeur)
• Alison Calder, In the Tiger Park (Coteau Books)
• Ariel Gordon, Stowaways (Palimpsest Press)
• Luann Hiebert, What Lies Behind (Turnstone)

Le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault

• Lise Gaboury-Diallo; Denis Devigne, illus., Confessions sans pénitence (Les Éditions du Blé)
• Laurent Poliquin, De l’amuïssement des certitudes (Jacques André éditeur)
• Annette Saint-Pierre, Jean Riel, fils de Louis Riel : sous une mauvaise étoile (Les Éditions du Blé)
• Charles Leblanc, soubresauts (Les Éditions du Blé)
• Simone Chaput, Un vent prodigue (Leméac)

Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards
Design Category

• Anahareo, Devil in Deerskins: My Life with Grey Owl (UMP) design by Mike Carroll and Jessica Koroscil
• Karen Dudley, Kraken Bake: An Epikurean Epic (Ravenstone/Turnstone Press), design by Jamis Paulson
• Corrado Calabrò; Genni Gunn, trans. Text Me/Dimmelo per SMS (Signature Editions) design by Terry Gallagher

Children’s Books/Graphic Novels Category

• GMB Chomichuk; Justin Currie, illus., Cassie and Tonk (Chasing Artwork)
• Adrian Hawaleshka; Natasha Boone, illus., The Chair by the Side of the Road
 (Friesen Press)
• David Alexander Robertson; Wai Tien, illus., The Peacemaker: Thanadelthur (Portage & Main Press)

General Illustration Category

• Randy Turner, City Beautiful: How Architecture Shaped Winnipeg’s DNA (Winnipeg Free Press)
• J. Clark Saunders, Exploring Old Highway No. 1 West: Canada’s Route 66 (Heartland Associates)
• Liane Lanzar and Kevin Complido, Warehouse Journal Volume 23 (University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture)

Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction

• Alison Preston, Blue Vengeance (Signature Editions)
• David A. Robertson, The Evolution of Alice (Portage & Main)
• Karen Dudley, Kraken Bake: An Epikurean Epic (Ravenstone/Turnstone)
• David Bergen, Leaving Tomorrow (HarperCollins Canada)
• Margaret Sweatman, Mr. Jones (Goose Lane Editions)
• Joan Thomas, The Opening Sky (M&S)

Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher

• Brenda Hasiuk, Boy Lost in Wild (Turnstone)
• Karen Dudley, Kraken Bake: An Epikurean Epic (Ravenstone/Turnstone)
• Annette Saint-Pierre, Jean Riel, fils de Louis Riel : sous une mauvaise étoile (Les Éditions du Blé)
• Bernard Saladin d’Anglure and Peter Frost, trans., Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel by Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk (UMP)
• The Kino-nda-niimi Collective, ed., The Winter We Danced: Voices from the Past, the Future, and the Idle No More Movement (ARP Books)

McNally Robinson Books for Young People Awards
Younger category

• Adrian Hawaleshka, The Chair by the Side of the Road (Friesen)
• Shezza Ansloos, The Firewalker (Pemmican Publications)
• M.J. Matheson, Hokey Dowa Gerda and the Snowflake Girl (Peanut Butter Press)
• Deborah Froese, Mr. Jacobson’s Window (Peanut Butter)
• Dennis Fast, Princess (Heartland Associates)

Older category

• Suzanne Costigan, Empty Cup (Rebelight Publishing)
• Larry Verstraete, Missing in Paradise (Rebelight)
• Carol Matas, Tucson Jo (Fictive Press)
• Eva Wiseman, The World Outside (Tundra Books)
• Brenda Hasiuk, Your Constant Star (Orca Book Publishers)

McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award

• Maurice Mierau, Detachment (Freehand)
• David Bergen, Leaving Tomorrow (HarperCollins Canada)
• Margaret Sweatman, Mr. Jones (Goose Lane)
• Joan Thomas, The Opening Sky (M&S)
• Allan Levine, Toronto: A Biography of a City (D&M)

The winners will be announced at a 1920s themed gala at Winnipeg’s Marlborough Hotel on April 25.