Winners of the 2026 B.C. and Yukon Book Prizes were announced at a gala in Vancouver on Sept. 19.

The annual awards, now in their 42nd year, are administered by the West Coast Book Prize Society and celebrate the achievements of B.C. and Yukon writers, illustrators, and publishers.

In addition to the eight category winners, two writers were also honoured for their contributions to literature in the regions: Tom Wayman was awarded Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence and Dan Dowhal was named the winner of the Borealis Prize: The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution.

Wayman, who lives in Winlaw, B.C., is an award-winning author of more than 20 poetry collections, three essay collections, three books of short fiction, and a novel.

Dan Dowhal is the author of four novels. He lives in Dawson City, where he works as a newspaper editor and librarian.

The winners of this year’s awards are:

Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize

• Endling by Maria Reva (Knopf Canada/Penguin Random House Canada) Review

Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize

• We Survived the Night: An Indigenous Reckoning by Julian Brave Noisecat (Random House Canada)

Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize

• Enemy Alien: Tamio Wakayama by Paul Wong and Tamio Wakayama (Figure 1 Publishing)

Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize

• Buzzkill Clamshell by Amber Dawn (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes

• This Book Is a Knife: Radical Working-Class Strategies in the Age of Climate Change by L.E. Fox (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize

• Celebrating Potlatches by Samantha Beynon and Carla Joseph, ill. (Strong Nations Publishing)

Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize

• A Drop in the Ocean by Léa Taranto (Arsenal Pulp Press) Review

Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award

• The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog by Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa with Alison Ariss, Andrea Fritz, Chepximiya Siyam Chief Dr. Janice George, Danielle Morsette, Debra Qwasen Sparrow, Eliot White-Hill Kwulasultun, Jared Qwustenuxun Williams, Kerrie Charnley, Michael Pavel, sa amitća Susan Pavel, Senaqwila Wyss, Snumithia’ Violet Elliott, Tuwuxwul’t-hw Tyrone Elliott, and Xweliqwiya Rena Point Bolton (Harbour Publishing)

The winners were chosen from shortlists announced in April.

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