Jury Recognizes a Dozen Excellent Works of Literary Non-Fiction, Just in Time for the Holidays
Jurors Susanne Boyce, Steven Galloway, and Stephen J. Toope today announced the longlist for the fifteenth RBC Taylor Prize. They read 120 books written by Canadian authors and submitted by 39 Canadian and international publishers.
“These twelve titles stand united in their outstanding literary quality. They represent the best in literary non-fiction published this year,” the jury notes.
The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce the longlist for the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize as follows:
1. Sixty: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning? By Ian Brown (Toronto), published by Random House Canada
2. ‘Membering by Austin Clarke (Toronto), published by Dundurn Press
3. Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History by Andrew Cohen (Ottawa), published by McClelland & Stewart/Signal Editions
4. Road Trip Rwanda: A Journey Into the New Heart of Africa by Will Ferguson (Calgary), published by Viking Canada
5. This Is Happy by Camilla Gibb (Toronto), published by Doubleday Canada
6. Dispatches from the Front: The Life of Matthew Halton, Canada’s Voice at War by David Halton(Toronto), published by Penguin Random House Canada
7. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew (Winnipeg), published by Viking Canada
8. Zoroaster’s Children: & Other Travels by Marius Kociejowski (London, England), published by Biblioasis
9. Genius at Play: The Curious Mind of John Horton Conway by Siobhan Roberts (Toronto), published by Bloomsbury U.S.A.
10. Stalin’s Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva by Rosemary Sullivan (Toronto), published by HarperCollins Publishers
11. The Prison Book Club by Ann Walmsley (Toronto), published by Viking Canada
12. Into the Blizzard: Walking the Fields of the Newfoundland Dead by Michael Winter (Toronto), published by Doubleday Canada
Noreen Taylor, Chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation and Founder of the Prize, commented: “In our fifteenth awarding, I am delighted to find that the jury has selected such a distinguished group of writers. These twelve titles, one by a former RBC Taylor Prize winner, another by a former juror, and so many by well-regarded fiction writers, reveal a cross-over of literary genres—and that has to be a good thing for all Canadian readers and every holiday shopping list.”
As the jury continues their deliberations, Steven Galloway has announced that he will step down for personal reasons. In his place, the trustees have selected award-winning author, educator, and previous juror Joseph Kertes, who joins former broadcast program chief Susanne Boyce and Dr. Stephen J. Toope, director of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
The shortlist will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday, January 13th. The shortlisted authors will be celebrated and the winner announced at a gala awards luncheon on Monday, March 7th. Both events will be held at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Downtown Toronto.
About The RBC Taylor Prize
Established biennially in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation, 2016 marks the fifteenth awarding of the RBC Taylor Prize, which commemorates Charles Taylor’s pursuit of excellence in the field of literary non-fiction. Awarded to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception, the Prize consists of $25,000 for the winner and $2,000 for each of the remaining finalists, as well as promotional support to help all of the nominated books to stand out in the media, bookstores, and libraries.
RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award
Established jointly by RBC and the Taylor Prize to promote emerging talent in non-fiction, the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award consists of a $10,000 cash prize, as well as the opportunity to be mentored by the RBC Taylor Prize winner.
The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Michael Bradley, Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor.
The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail (exclusive newspaper sponsor), CNW Group, The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean’s magazine, andQuill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library Board.
To download high-resolution images of the longlisted authors and their book covers please go to:www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2016/2016_longlist.zip
To download high-resolution images of the trustees and the jury please go to:www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2016/2016_trustees_and_jury.zip
For more information please visit: www.rbctaylorprize.ca.
