Whistler Independent Book Awards 2022 Winners Announced
The winners of the 2022 Whistler Independent Book Awards were announced on Friday, October 14, at the Literary Cabaret, one of the highlights of the annual Whistler Writers Festival, celebrating 21 years with a hybrid festival.
The winner in the fiction category was Michael Carin for Churchill at Munich. Finalist judge Amber Cowie said: “As a result of Carin’s enviable talent and deep compassion, Churchill at Munich marries compelling speculative fiction with a heartbreakingly beautiful examination of the people who shape our lives in ways we both expect and do not.” Darcie Friesen Hossack, finalist judge, said: “A riveting story, stunningly told. A note-perfect composition, and one that could take its place on any literary podium.”
The other two fiction finalists were William George Lindsay for Rez Dog Blues & The Haiku and Gordon Sombrowski for What Narcissus Saw.
The winner for non-fiction was Shannon Terrell for The Guest House: Stories of a Nervous. Said Finalist judge JJ Lee, ” This is a well-written memoir that draws the reader into the difficult reality of the main character, Shannon, which is impacted by a mental health challenge that seems to defy diagnosis.” Eve Lazarus judged the book to be “This was a clear winner for me. The Guest House felt polished, it’s well edited, and overall, just a pleasure to read.”
The other two non-fiction finalists were H. Saint James for What Grows in the Space It Left Behind and Laurie Carter for Emily Carr’s BC (Book Two) Northern BC & Haida Gawaii.
The winner for children’s was Rae Knightly for Ben Archer & The World Beyond. Said Finalist judge Arthur Slade, ” Ben Archer is one of those books that is, to quote the cliché, ‘hard to put down.’ Right from the word go, it does what any Middle Grade adventure story should do—it hooks the reader in and pulls them along to the end of the book. ” Sara Leach said: “It hits the mark as a middle-grade novel in terms of themes, plot, characters, tone and pacing. Ben Archer is a sympathetic main character with a clear and interesting quest.”
The other two children’s finalists were Georgia Hunter for Tabhi and Barbara Wade Rose for Marabel: or, The Great Exception.
Established in 2016, the Whistler Independent Book Awards provide Canadian self-published authors with a unique opportunity to have their work recognized through an independent juried process.
Administered by Vivalogue Publishing, the Canadian Authors Association and the Whistler Writing Society, the awards are sponsored by The Writers’ Union of Canada.