Shortlisted
Notes for the Everlost has been shortlisted for the Evelyn Richardson Award for Non-Fiction as a part of the Atlantic Book Awards! The ceremony is in St. John’s, Newfoundland in early June 2019, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to visit the rock for the first time.
It’s such a funny thing, the idea of awards—and even more so in the non-fiction category. Books are such a subjective experience, entering the atmosphere of our hearts and minds and bouncing around and making sparks with the myriad phenomenons already living there: an individual’s fears, joys, losses, dreams. Memories of family and friends and favourite places; of love affairs and ancestral history; pastry recipes and ghost stories and unwritten rules. That’s why every book lands differently for every person. How it bounces around in there. What it ignites.
In non-fiction, we traverse everything from historical texts to pop culture to memoir. There’s opinion, analysis, and instruction. What moves us depends on where we are. And so, hooray! I’m thrilled to go to St. John’s and —most of all—spend time with such an incredible posse of writers and poets from my Atlantic region. Many are long-standing friends and mentors, and others I’ve yet to know. Thanks, Atlantic Book Awards! I’m chuffed.
Several events are taking place around the Book Awards—readings, signings, and a fantastic panel discussion. Come join in, if you’re in Halifax or in St. John’s!