Family comes first at this year’s Weston Prize. Memoirs inspired by family dominate the list of finalists for the 2018 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction.
 Three of the shortlisted authors for the $60,000 prize were recognized for candid reflections on their unique – yet universal – family stories.

The five finalists – Will Aitken, Elizabeth Hay, Terese Marie Mailhot, Judi Rever, and Lindsay Wong – were also commended as unifying voices in divisive times by Weston. “This year’s non-fiction finalists focus on themes of coming together in the face of adversity, regardless of our differences,” the prize’s sponsor said in a statement. “The jury has highlighted some exceptional talent, authors with varied experiences and expertise, and it is our pleasure to share this list.”

The five finalists are:

• Antigone Undone: Juliette Binoche, Anne Carson, Ivo Van Hove, and the Art of Resistance, Will Aitken (University of Regina Press)
• All Things Consoled: A Daughter’s Memoir, Elizabeth Hay (McClelland & Stewart)
• Heart Berries: A Memoir, Terese Marie Mailhot (Doubleday Canada)
• In Praise of Blood: The Crimes of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, Judi Rever (Random House Canada)
• The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family, Lindsay Wong (Arsenal Pulp Press)

The jury is comprised of writers Michael Harris, Donna Bailey Nurse, and Joel Yanofsky. Each finalist will receive $5,000, with the winner announced on Nov. 7 at the Writers’ Trust Awards ceremony.