2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards

(September 30, 2020) – The Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador is happy to announce that Sharon Bala, author of The Boat People, is our 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award winner in the Fiction category!

The Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards are held annually by the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL) to recognize excellence in writing by authors residing in Newfoundland and Labrador. The 2020 awards honours two categories: the Fiction Award, sponsored by Killick Capital, and The Bruneau Family Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature.

Bala will receive a cash prize of $1,500, with the remaining shortlist finalists receiving $500 each.
Watch the September 29 Fiction readings + winner announcement and the September 22 Children’s/YA Literature readings + winner announcement on Facebook by clicking here to go to our video playlist.

The shortlist for this prize was announced on September 15, and featured Sharon Bala, Melissa Barbeau, and Terry Doyle. The longlist featured Larry Mathews, Carolyn Morgan and Leslie Vryenhoek.

(September 23, 2020) – The Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador is happy to announce that Charis Cotter, author of The Ghost Road, is our 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award winner in the Children/Young Adult Literature category!

The Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards are held annually by the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL) to recognize excellence in writing by authors residing in Newfoundland and Labrador. The 2020 awards honours two categories: the Fiction Award, sponsored by Killick Capital, and The Bruneau Family Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature.

Cotter will receive a cash prize of $1,500, with the remaining shortlist finalists receiving $500 each.
Watch the September 22 readings + winner announcement on Facebook by clicking here.

The shortlist for this prize was announced on September 15, and featured Charis Cotter, Lori Doody, and Susan Sinnott. The longlist also featured authors Kristen Ciccarelli, Robert Chafe, and Sheilah Lukins.

(September 15, 2020) – The Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador is ecstatic to announce the SHORTLIST for the 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards (NLBAs)!
The longlist was announced on September 8 to much fanfare, with social media engagement with fellow writers and the general public, congratulations from industry professionals and publishing companies, as well as a wonderful nod from CBC Books.

• The Boat People by Sharon Bala
• The Luminous Sea by Melissa Barbeau
• Dig by Terry Doyle

What our Jury had to say about this year’s shortlisted authors in the Fiction category:

The Boat People by Sharon Bala
Inspired by events surrounding the 2010 arrival of a cargo ship in Vancouver carrying 500 Tamil refugees, The Boat People is a work of highly relevant historical fiction exploring discourses surrounding terrorism, the nature of power, and the meaning of belonging in Canadian society. Journeying through The Boat People is a transformative experience. Readers will not enter the narrative Bala has masterfully and compassionately crafted without returning with new insight into the experiences of refugees, immigrants, and the people who determine their fates.
For as Bala reminds us, bureaucracy, laws, and governments are profoundly human institutions, with as much capacity for error, change and love as the people who risk all in hope of safety and security for themselves and their families. She does this by weaving together three different perspectives: Mahindan, a refugee (along with his young son Sellian) from the Sri Lankan civil war; Grace, a newly appointed Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator; and Priya, an articling student with more interest in corporate law than advocating for refugee rights.
Bala puts herself in the shoes of all three participants in the refuge crisis, each with their own stories and memories, and with her richly detailed and emotionally compelling writing, gives us the privilege of joining her there.

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The Luminous Sea by Melissa Barbeau
On the surface, Melissa Barbeau’s The Luminous Sea follows the story of a young research assistant, Vivienne, who makes the discovery of a lifetime in a small Newfoundland outport. She soon learns the project leaders are driven by greed and ego with little care for the wellbeing of the catch. As the creature deteriorates in a rudimentary aquarium, Vivienne becomes vulnerable and must make a decision that could impact her professional career.
A deeper dive into this story reveals beauty and eloquence not only in the narrative, but also in the alignment of the physical and mental state of both the creature and Vivienne. The Luminous Sea is an expertly crafted novel on point in every respect. Barbeau’s writing style flows effortlessly as she paints secondary characters around Vivienne who illustrate her innocence. As the creature molts, Vivienne too begins her transformation. The climax of the novel is wrought with suspense and a reader cannot help but wonder if there is some otherworldly influence driving Vivienne’s actions.
The Luminous Sea reads like a painting filled with texture, its imagery staying with the reader long after the story’s conclusion. This reader looks forward to many more stories from this author.

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Dig by Terry Doyle
Terry Doyle’s Dig holds a magnifying glass up to the everyday, revealing the secret hopes and anxieties of average people. Each character in these stories is recognisable but distinct. Much like Ryan in Keeping That, Are You?, who travels around town collecting discarded objects, Doyle gathers little scraps from people’s lives and highlights the details that make each person interesting.
You can touch, taste, see, hear, and feel St. John’s in Dig. Doyle’s vision of the city is perfectly preserved in these brilliant, tightly constructed stories. From the new kid in town trying to make friends at school to the young man who is devastated to see an old pal leave for Alberta, these stories probe what it means to live and care and make mistakes alongside other human beings.
I found myself thinking of each one of these characters long after I finished reading Dig. Doyle writes in sparing prose that leads the reader in one direction, only to surprise them in the conclusion, unfurling a hidden theme that becomes clear in the final few sentences.
Unearthing what it means to be vulnerable and good in world where these traits seem to be increasingly rare, these stories only appear simple. Subtle and polished, Dig showcases Doyle’s sharp talent and crafty storytelling.

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The Bruneau Family Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature Shortlist
Sponsored by The Bruneau Family

• The Ghost Road by Charis Cotter
• Paint the Town Pink by Lori Doody
• Catching the Light by Susan Sinnott

What our Jury had to say about this year’s shortlisted authors in the Children’s/YA Literature category:

The Ghost Road by Charis Cotter
Spanning across seven generations from Ireland to a small outport in Newfoundland, newly introduced cousins, Ruby and Ruth, work together to unravel a mysterious family secret that was carried by their ancestors across the Atlantic more than a century ago. Ruth, who is analytical and skeptical, and Ruby, who is energetic and adventurous, are the perfect pair to eke out the truth about the secrets that have been woven into the very fabric of the small coastal community their family has long-resided in.
Charis Cotter’s eloquent, enchanting prose brings Newfoundland’s folklore and natural history alive — you can almost hear the voices of fairies dancing on the breeze intermingled with the smell of the saltwater and wildflowers. A story of folklore and family, in which the two heroines are both helped and hindered by an ornery witch, a mischievous old storyteller, and a swath of ghostly characters — The Ghost Road will appeal to young readers and adults alike.

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Catching the Light by Susan Sinnott
Personal struggles come in many forms – emotional, physical, mental. Sometimes these struggles are inspiring and other times, heartbreaking. How we face them and, ultimately, accept them as a part of ourselves, shape us. Such is the journey Cathy and Hutch follow through their teenage years into young adulthood in Susan Sinnott’s beautiful novel, Catching the Light.
Sinnott’s use of language is as artful as the paintings her Cathy creates, placing you in the heart of the scene and invoking images that allow the reader to fully engage with her characters’ experiences and feelings. She weaves a story of dreams dashed and realized; of love lost and found; of pain and forgiveness. A story that will captivate you from its opening words, never letting go until well after you’ve read the final page.

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Paint the Town Pink by Lori Doody 
Rose, a flamingo is blown off course and becomes a Newfoundland and Labrador rare bird alert. A stranger to the town of St. John’s, Rose is charmed but wary. How does this stand out bird find a way to fit in? Friendly maritime folk Paint the Town Pink in the most extraordinary ways and their warmth encourages Rose to join their flock.
Lori Doody has created an inspiring and original picture book where language and art merge into a delightful tale of belonging for the most flamboyant amongst us. Think pink activities tickle us with the humour and creativity Newfoundlanders are known for. Lori’s illustrations, filled with colour and clever text, will captivate young and old readers alike. Put this on your rare book alert list.

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Catch the excitement – Tune into the 2020 NLBAs!

Virtual readings by the finalists and winner announcements will take place on the WANL Facebook page as follows:

• The Bruneau Family Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature readings and winner announcement will take place on September 22.
• The Fiction Award sponsored by Killick Capital readings and winner announcement will take place on September 29.

Each winner will receive a cash prize of $1,500. Remaining finalists will receive $500 each.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards are held annually by the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL) to recognize excellence in writing by authors residing in Newfoundland and Labrador.