Margaret Atwood and the RBC Foundation to unveil 2020 Shortlist Wed Jan 8 at King Eddie

RBC Taylor Prize will announce 2020 shortlist Wednesday January 8

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation request the media to attend a conference to announce the finalists for the final 2020 RBC Taylor Prize. The 30-minute press conference will take place Wednesday, January 8, 2020 10 a.m. sharp in the Consort Bar (Main Level) of The Omni King Edward Hotel, 37 King Street East Toronto, ON M5C 1E9.

There will be five finalists on this year's shortlist, which the jury will select from the 12 longlisted books announced in early December 2019.
Who: Noreen Taylor, chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation and Prize founder. Presenting Sponsor Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, RBC Taylor Prize 2020 Juror Margaret Atwood
What: RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist Announcement Event
Why: To hear the names of the shortlist authors/books and celebrate all 12 books on the RBC Taylor Prize longlist of Canadian Literary Nonfiction works.
When: Wednesday, January 08, 2020 at 10:00 am sharp
Where: The Omni King Edward Hotel, Main Level Consort Bar, 37 King Street East, downtown Toronto

The longlist Books for the 2020 RBC Taylor Prize are:

Rush to Danger: Medics in the Line of Fire by Ted Barris, published by Harper Collins Canada
Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson by Mark Bourrie, published by Biblioasis
The Grandmaster: Magnus Carlsen and the Match That Made Chess Great Again by Brin-Jonathan Butler, published by Simon & Schuster
Had it Coming: What's Fair in the Age of #MeToo by Robyn Doolittle, published by Allen Lane
We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib, published by Viking Canada
In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience by Helen Knott, published by University of Regina Press
Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid, published by Doubleday Canada
The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Byron Makes Love and Britain Becomes Modern by Robert Morrison, published by W.W. Norton
Overrun: Dispatches from the Asian Carp Crisis by Andrew Reeves, published by ECW Press
The Mongolian Chronicles: A Story of Eagles, Demons and Empires by Allen Smutylo, published by Goose Lane Editions
The Reality Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths, and the Dangerous Illusions that Shape Our World by Ziya Tong, published by Allen Lane
The Mosquito: A Human History of our Deadliest Predator by Timothy C. Winegard, published by Allen Lane

About The RBC Taylor Prize:

2020 marks the 20th anniversary 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 $5,000 for each finalist, and a further $25,000 for the winner. All authors are presented with a custom leather-bound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony.
The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor. The Manager is Sheila Kay. The jurors for the 2020 RBC Taylor Prize are: Margaret Atwood, Coral Ann Howells and Peter Theroux.

For further information: For further information: Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates, Stephen Weir: 416-489-5868 | cell: 416-801-3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com, @sweirsweir

Jessica J. Lee is a British-Canadian-Taiwanese author and environmental historian.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 • Toronto, Ontario: For immediate Release

 Kate Harris Names Jessica J. Lee to the 2019 RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award

With an unwavering commitment to supporting and encouraging emerging Canadian talent, the Charles Taylor Foundation and RBC Wealth Management are pleased to announce that Jessica J. Lee is the sixth recipient of its annual Emerging Writer Award. The London ON born writer, now living in Berlin, was chosen by Kate Harris, winner of the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize for her book Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road. The Prize consists of a $10,000 cash prize and mentorship by Ms. Harris.

RBC Taylor Prize Founder Noreen Taylor commented: “Jessica J. Lee is exactly the kind of writer we envision for the Emerging Author award. A multi-talented young person, Lee is about to break out on several fronts. She is a committed environmental historian who also just happens to be a talented writer and is also encouraging young diverse writers by editing and publishing the Willowherb Review. This award will assist Lee towards completing her multiple projects.”

Vijay Parmar, President of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel added: “On behalf of RBC Wealth Management, congratulations to Jessica J. Lee on being named this year’s RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer Award winner. We can’t wait to see what you do next. We’re incredibly proud to support this Award and the opportunity it offers our country’s rising authors to advance their literary careers.”

Kate Harris noted that Jessica J. Lee is an “uber-talented Canadian author, whose first book, Turning, I deeply admired for its gorgeous mix of memoir and nature/travel writing. It’s about the year she spent swimming a different lake every weekend as a way of moving through heartbreak and depression. I also love the fact that she’s founded a literary magazine, The Willowherb Review, to celebrate and bolster nature writing by emerging and established diverse writers. She’s definitely a nonfiction voice I want to hear more from.”

Lee enthused “I’m completely surprised and honoured that Kate Harris selected me for the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award. Since receiving the news, I’ve felt like a pool of jelly — it means a lot to me that I’ll be joining such a brilliant community of previous winners. The gift of time that an award like this brings is more than I can put into words: this will grant me time to really focus on finishing my next book and working on projects like The Willowherb Review. The opportunity to be in touch with a fellow writer, scholar, and nature-lover like Kate is extraordinary—I’m sure we’ll have quite a lot to talk about over the coming year. I’m so grateful to Kate and the award committee: thank you!”

The RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award was established to provide recognition and assistance to a Canadian published author who is working on a significant writing project, preferably but not limited to the genre of literary non-fiction. Through mentorship from the current RBC Taylor Prize winner and the cash award, it is intended that the recipient will be able to progress toward the creation of a first draft.

Jessica J. Lee

Jessica J. Lee is a British-Canadian-Taiwanese author and environmental historian. She has a BA from University of Kings College, Halifax, an MA from University of London, and a PhD in Environmental History and Aesthetics from York University in Toronto. Her first book, Turning, was published in 2017. She has lived in Berlin since 2014, where she is Writer-in-Residence at the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology.

Kate Harris has written for The Walrus, Canadian Geographic, and The Georgia Review, among other publications. A Rhodes scholar (Oxford — History of Science) with degrees from MIT and UNC Chapel Hill, she was named one of Canada’s top modern-day explorers and has won several awards for her nonfiction writing. She lives off-grid in a log cabin in Atlin, BC. Lands of Lost Borders is her first book.

Kate Harris won the Taylor Prize - photo Sandler

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 84,000+ employees who bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 16 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 33 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.‎

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-sustainability.

About the RBC Taylor Prize

Established in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation and first awarded in 2000, the RBC Taylor Prize 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. All finalists receive $5,000, and the winner receives a further $25,000. All authors are presented with a custom leather bound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony. All finalists receive promotional support for their nominated titles.

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor. The Prize Manager is Sheila Kay.

Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates

Stephen Weir: 416.489.5868 | cell: 416.801.3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com

For general information about the Prize please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca
Follow the RBC Taylor Prize on Twitter at www.twitter.com/taylorprize
Like the RBC Taylor Prize on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RBCTaylorPrize

To download a high-resolution image of the recipient of the 2019 RBC Taylor

Emerging Writer Award, please go to:
www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2019/hr_images/2019_rbctpew_jessica_lee_hr_cred_paul_capewell.jpg

MEDIA ALERT - TAYLOR PRIZE ANNOUNCED MONDAY 2pm OMNI KING EDWARD HOTEL TORONTO

IT ALL HAPPENS MONDAY IN TORONTO

Prize Founder Noreen Taylor (r) with two jury members,
Roy McGregor, Camilla Gibb and Foundation member VJ Parmar in front of the shortlist books.

WHEN: Monday March 4, 2018 Luncheon: 12 noon | Announcement 1:40 p.m.  The Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto

WHY COVER: 
This Monday, March 4th one of five RBC Taylor Prize finalists will be named the winner of the Prize. The Prize consists of $5,000 for each of the finalists, and a further $25,000 for the winner (winner also receives a custom designed crystal trophy). The announcement will take place at approximately 1:40 p.m. following the presentation of the finalists, who will each receive an authentic leather-bound edition of their book.

WHERE: 
The Omni King Edward Hotel, Crystal Ballroom, 17th Floor 
37 King St. East, Toronto M5C 1E9

The five finalists are:The finalists for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize are:
• Just Let Me Look at You: On Fatherhood, by Bill Gaston, published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Canada
• Jan in 35 Pieces: A Memoir in Music, by Ian Hampton, published by Porcupine's Quill
• Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road, by Kate Harris, published by Knopf Canada.
• All Things Consoled: A Daughter's Memoir, by Elizabeth Hay, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, by Darrel J. McLeod, published by Douglas & MacIntyre.

About The RBC Taylor Prize

Established in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation and first awarded in 2000, 2019 marks the eighteenth 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 $30,000 for the winner and $5,000 for each of the remaining finalists. All authors are presented with a custom leather bound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony. All finalists receive promotional support for their nominated titles.

Sharing a commitment to emerging Canadian talent, The Charles Taylor Foundation and RBC will also grant the sixth annual RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writers Award. Shortly after the announcement of the 2019 Prize, its winner will name their choice of emerging author to receive this $10,000 award.

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor. The Prize Manager is Sheila Kay.

The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, Cision, Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, TIFA, and the Omni King Edward Hotel. Howl Radio CIUT FM and Open Book are Friends of the Prize.

To download high-resolution images of the shortlisted authors and their book covers please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2019/rbctp_2019_finalist_covers_and_authors.zipTo download high-resolution images of the trustees and the jury please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2019/2019_trustees_and_jury.zip

RBC Taylor Prize announces its 2019 jury

October 3, 2018 • Toronto, Ontario: For immediate Release

 RBC Taylor Prize Announces New Jury for 2019

Canada’s Most Prestigious Non-Fiction Prize

The Trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce that the jurors for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize are: Camilla Gibb, Roy MacGregor and Beverley McLachlin.

Camilla Gibb is the author of many books, including a memoir, This Is Happy, which was shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize, and four novels, including Sweetness in the Belly, shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and winner of the Trillium Award. She most recently wrote and produced the documentary Evidence of a Father for CBC Radio. She is the June Callwood Professor in Social Justice at Victoria College, University of Toronto, and holds a PhD in social anthropology from Oxford University.

Roy MacGregor has been a journalist for 45 years, winning multiple National Newspaper and National Magazine Awards, as well as twice receiving the ACTRA Award for television screenwriting. He is the author of more than 50 books, 30 of them in the internationally successful Screech Owls hockey mystery series for young readers. His book Home Team: Fathers, Sons & Hockey was shortlisted for the Governor-General’s Award. His most recent book is Original Highways: Travelling the Great Rivers of Canada, which was just shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Award. In 2005, he was named an Officer in the Order of Canada.

Rt Hon Beverley McLachlin was appointed Chief Justice of Canada on January 7, 2000. She is both the first woman in Canada to hold this position and the longest serving Chief Justice of Canada. She retired on December 15, 2017. Throughout her judicial career, she has covered countless areas of the Canadian legal system. In addition to her duties at the Supreme Court, Ms. McLachlin has chaired the Canadian Judicial Council, the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada and the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute. She is the author of numerous articles and publications. Her debut mystery novel, Full Disclosure, was published in spring 2018.

Noreen Taylor, Prize Founder and Chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, remarked: “In today’s environment of fragmented media and constant accusations of “fake news”, literary non-fiction remains a critical medium for writers and readers — a trusted source of nuance and thoughtful argument. Our esteemed jurors will read over 120 submissions and deliberate over which books to include in December’s long-list for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize.

Key Dates: The Longlist will be shared on Wednesday, December 12, 2018; the Shortlist will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, January 9, 2019; and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday March 4, 2019.

The RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates.

 About The RBC Taylor Prize:

Established in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation and first awarded in 2000, 2018 marks the seventeenth 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 $5,000 for each finalist, and a further $25,000 for the winner. All authors are presented with a custom leatherbound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony.

The Prize provides all the finalists with promotional support to help all of the nominated books to stand out in the media, bookstores, and libraries.

Earlier this year, Tanya Talaga won the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize for her book Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death and Hard Truths in a Northern City, published by House of Anansi Press.

Ms. Talaga selected Alicia Elliott as the 2018 recipient of the RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer Award. This award, featuring a $10,000 cash award, and mentorship from the naming author was established in 2013 to provide recognition and assistance to a Canadian published author who is working on a significant writing project in literary non-fiction. Ms. Elliott, a Tuscarora writer living near Brantford ON, has been widely published. Her essay "A Mind Spread Out on The Ground" won the National Magazine Award in May 2017, and her story "Tracks" has been longlisted for the 2018 Journey Prize.

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Vijay Parmar, David Staines, 
Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor. The Executive Director is Su Hutchinson.

The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, CBC Books, Cision, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library Board.

To download high-resolution images of the trustees and the jury

please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2019/2019_trustees_and_jury.zip

For general information about the Prize please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca.

Follow the RBC Taylor Prize on Twitter at www.twitter.com/taylorprize

Follow the RBC Taylor Prize on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RBCTaylorPrize

Canada's Most Prestigious Prize for Literary Non-Fiction gathers industry for important announcement

Jury will choose up to five books from its longlist

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation request the media to attend a conference to announce the finalists for the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize. The 30-minute press conference will take place Wednesday, January 10, 2018 10 a.m. sharp  in the Consort Bar (Main Level) of The Omni King Edward Hotel, 37 King Street East Toronto, ON M5C 1E9.

There will be up to five authors/books on this year's shortlist. There will be up to five authors/books on this year's shortlist, which the jury will select from the 10 longlisted books announced in early December 2017. 

Who: Noreen Taylor, chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation and Prize founder
Presenting Sponsor Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, 
RBC Taylor Prize 2018 Jurors Christine Elliott, Anne Giardini, and James Polk
What: RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist Announcement Event
Why: To hear the names of the shortlist authors/books and celebrate all 10 books on the RBC Taylor Prize longlist
When: Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 10:00 am sharp
Where: The Omni King Edward Hotel, Main Level Consort Bar, 37 King Street East, downtown Toronto

The longlist Books for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize are:

1. Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on Bering's Great Voyage to Alaska by Stephen R. Bown (Canmore, AB), published by Douglas & McIntyre
2. How to Fall in Love with Anyone by Mandy Len Catron (Vancouver, BC), published by Simon & Schuster
3. Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place by Daniel Coleman (Hamilton, ON), published by Wolsak and Wynn Publishers
4. The Marriott Cell: An Epic Journey from Cairo's Scorpion Prison to Freedom by Mohamed Fahmy (Vancouver, BC) and Carol Shaben (Vancouver, BC), published by Random House Canada
5. Solitude: A Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris (Vancouver, BC), published by Doubleday Canada
6. Life on the Ground Floor: Letters From the Edge of Emergency Medicine by James Maskalyk (Toronto, ON), published by Doubleday Canada
7. A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land by Adam Shoalts (Hamilton, ON), published by Allen Lane Canada / Penguin Random House Canada
8. Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga (Toronto, ON), published by House of Anansi Press
9. In the Name of Humanity by Max Wallace (Toronto, ON), published by Allen Lane Canada / Penguin Random House Canada
10. Apron Strings: Navigating Food and Family in France, Italy, and China by Jan Wong (Fredericton, NB), published by Goose Lane Edition

 The RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. The RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday February 26, 2018.

Canada's Most Prestigious Prize for Literary Non-Fiction gathers industry for important announcement

.

Canada's Most Prestigious Prize for Literary Non-Fiction gathers industry for important announcement

TORONTO, Dec. 25, 2016 /CNW/  

2017 RBC Taylor Longlist nominees

Who: Noreen Taylor, chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation and Prize founder

Presenting Sponsor Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, Jurors John English, Ann MacMillan, and Colin McAdam

What: RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist Announcement Event

Why: To hear the names of the shortlist and celebrate all 12 books on the RBC Taylor Prize longlist

When: Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at 10:00 am sharp

Where: The Omni King Edward Hotel, Main Level Consort Bar, 37 King Street East, downtown Toronto

2017 RBC Taylor Prize Longlist:

• Waiting for First Light: My Ongoing Battle with PTSD by Romeo Dallaire, published by Random House Canada
• By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz by Max Eisen, published by HarperCollins Canada
• Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier's Story of a Forgotten War by Matti Friedman, published by Algonquin Books
• An Intimate Wilderness: Arctic Voices in a Land of Vast Horizons by Norman Hallendy, published by Greystone Books
• Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies by Ross King, published by Bond Street Books
• The Killer Whale Who Changed the World by Mark Leiren-Young, published by Greystone Books
• Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World by Marc Raboy, published by Oxford University Press
• Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend, published by Viking
• This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Love, Prison, and Other Complications by Diane Schoemperlen, published by HarperCollins Canada
• Wait Time: A Memoir of Cancer by Kenneth Sherman, published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press
• Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve by Alexandra Shimo, published by Dundurn Press
• A World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905 by Bill Waiser, published by Fifth House Books

The RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates.

Key Dates: The RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, January 11 and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday, March 6, 2017.

About The RBC Taylor Prize: Established biennially in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation, 2017 marks the sixteenth 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. All authors are presented with a custom leather bound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony.

Rosemary Sullivan won the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize for her book Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva, published by HarperCollins Publishers. Ms Sullivan selected Adnan Khan as the third recipient of the RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer Award, which was established in 2013 to provide recognition and assistance to a Canadian published author who is working on a significant writing project in literary non-fiction.

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, CNW Group, The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean's magazine, Quill & Quire magazine, and SiriusXM; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library Board.

SOURCE RBC Taylor Prize

CONTACT: Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates, Stephen Weir: 416-489-5868 | cell: 416-801-3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com

RBC TAYLOR PRIZE Announces Partnership with EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL

RBC TAYLOR PRIZE Announces Partnership with EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL - Channel 167 Sirius XM

TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2016 /CNW/ - The RBC Taylor Prize is pleased to announce its partnership with the show EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL on the Canada Talks Channel on Sirius XM.  RBC Taylor Prize sees this new partnership as a natural fit since almost all award winning non-fiction books in Canada do come down to politics.

Listen to EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL each Wednesday (6-7pm)  for interviews of RBC Taylor Prize shortlisted authors and organizers of Canada's most prestigious non-fiction prize. First up was a feature interview with Noreen Taylor, the engaging and erudite founder of the Prize.  This Wednesday (January 27, 2016) short-listed author/journalist David Halton  

All five 2016 RBC Taylor Prize finalists will be featured:

• David Halton for Dispatches from the Front: Matthew Halton, Canada's Voice at War, published by McClelland & Stewart;
• Ian Brown for This is Sixty: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning?, published by Random House Canada;
• Camilla Gibb for This Is Happy, published by Doubleday Canada;
• Wab Kinew for The Reason You Walk, published by Viking Canada; and
• Rosemary Sullivan for Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva, published by HarperCollins Publishers.

About Everything is Political

The show is heard Wednesdays from 6 pm to 7 pm (EDT) on SiriusXM's Canada Talks, channel 167.  The programme was launched last summer by journalist / broadcaster Evan Solomon.  Mr Solomon is the executive producer of the show, the host this Wednesday will be Sun political reporter David Akin.

Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. (TSX: XSR) operates as SiriusXM Canada. SiriusXM Canada, with more than 2.7 million subscribers, is the country's leading audio entertainment company and broadcasts more than 130 satellite radio channels featuring premier sports, news, talk, entertainment and commercial-free music.

About the RBC Taylor Prize:

Established biennially in 1998 by the trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation, 2016 marks the fifteenth awarding of the 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.  All authors are presented with a custom leather bound version of their shortlisted book at the awards ceremony. The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Michael Bradley, Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor.

To download high-resolution images of the finalists and their book covers, please go to www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2016/2016_shortlist.zip

To download high-resolution images of the trustees and the jury please go to: www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2016/2016_trustees_and_jury.zip

SOURCE RBC Taylor Prize

For further information:

Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates, Stephen Weir: 416-489-5868, cell: 416-801-3101, stephen@stephenweir.com

RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist Press Conference At King Edward Hotel

Drop me a note if you would like to attend. Always starts on time. Never longer than 40 minutes.

RBC Taylor Prize 2016 Shortlist To Be Revealed January 13, 2016
Jury will choose up to five books from its longlist

TORONTO, Dec. 29, 2015 /CNW/ - The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation request the media to attend a conference to announce the finalists for the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize. The 30-minute press conference will take place Wednesday, January 13, 2016 10 a.m. sharp  in the Consort Bar  (Main Level ) of The Omni King Edward Hotel, 37 King Street East Toronto, ON M5C 1E9
The announcement of the fifteenth RBC Taylor Prize shortlist will be made by Prize Founder Noreen Taylor and members of the Prize Foundation.  The shortlisted authors will be celebrated and the winner announced at a gala awards luncheon on Monday, March 7th. at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
There will be up to five authors/books on this year's shortlist.  The 3-member jury will choose from the longlist announced earlier in December.
2016 RBC Taylor Prize Longlist:
Sixty: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning? By Ian Brown (Toronto), published by Random House Canada
'Membering by Austin Clarke (Toronto), published by Dundurn Press
Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History by Andrew Cohen (Ottawa), published by McClelland & Stewart
Road Trip Rwanda: A Journey Into the New Heart of Africa by Will Ferguson (Calgary), published by Viking Canada
This Is Happy by Camilla Gibb (Toronto), published by Doubleday Canada
Dispatches from the Front: Canada's Voice at War by David Halton (Ottawa), published by McClelland & Stewart
The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew (Winnipeg), published by Viking Canada
Zoroaster's Children: & Other Travels by Marius Kociejowski (London, England), published by Biblioasis
Genius at Play: The Curious Mind of John Horton Conway by Siobhan Roberts (Toronto), published by Bloomsbury U.S.A.
Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva by Rosemary Sullivan (Toronto), published by HarperCollins Publishers
The Prison Book Club by Ann Walmsley (Toronto), published by Viking Canada
Into the Blizzard: Walking the Fields of the Newfoundland Dead by Michael Winter (Toronto), published by Doubleday Canada

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, and Quill & 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
www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2016/2016_longlist.zip

To download high-resolution images of the trustees and the jury www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2016/2016_trustees_and_jury.zip

For more information please visit: www.rbctaylorprize.ca.
RBC Taylor Prize on Twitter at www.twitter.com/taylorprize
Facebook At www.facebook.com/RBCTaylorPrize

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Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates, Stephen Weir: 416-489-5868, cell: 416-801-3101, stephen@stephenweir.com

RBC Taylor Prize Winner Chosen

Plum Johnson Wins the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize for They Left Us Everything

TORONTO, March 2, 2015 /CNW/ - The Winner of the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize is Plum Johnson, author of They Left Us Everything, published by Penguin Canada. The $25,000 award was announced today in Toronto by Prize founder and Chair Noreen Taylor during a gala luncheon celebrating this year's finalists. This was the 14th awarding of the country's most prestigious prize for literary non-fiction.

Of the book, the jury notes: "[The story is] beautifully observed and written with great warmth and wit. They Left Us Everything is an absorbing memoir of grief, growth, and decluttering. Plum Johnson must deal not merely with the legacy of her difficult, ill-matched parents, but is handed the burden of disposing of the seemingly endless contents of their 23-room Lake Ontario home, which becomes a character on its own in the telling. The task, which she initially thinks manageable, proves Herculean, far more complex than she'd imagined, involving understanding her past and packing up its contents, both literal and metaphorical. A story of love, loss, and legacy, written with compassion and humour, it subtly evokes T.S. Eliot's lines: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

Plum Johnson is an award-winning author, artist, and entrepreneur. She was the founder of KidsCanada Publishing Corp., publisher of KidsToronto, and co-founder of Help's Here! resource magazine for seniors and caregivers. The author lives in Toronto where she paints and is working on her next book.

The five finalists for the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize were: Plum Johnson (Toronto, Ontario) for They Left Us Everything, published by Penguin Canada; David O'Keefe (Montreal, Quebec) for One Day in August: The Untold Story Behind Canada's Tragedy at Dieppe, published by Random House Canada; Barbara Taylor (London, England) for The Last Asylum: A Memoir of Madness In Our Times, published by Hamish Hamilton Canada; M.G. Vassanji (Toronto, Ontario) for And Home Was Kariakoo: A Memoir of East Africa, published by Doubleday Canada; and Kathleen Winter (Montreal, Quebec) for Boundless, published by House of Anansi Press.
Presenting partner RBC Wealth Management will host Plum Johnson on a speaking tour of selected Canadian cities.

The jurors for the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize are: Kevin Garland, former executive director of the National Ballet of Canada; Martin Levin, editor, columnist, and playwright; and Andrew Preston, winner of the 2013 RBC Taylor Prize, editor, and lecturer. Diverse and accomplished, this year's decision-making team approached their reading list with skill to determine the best works of literary non-fiction for this the 14th awarding of the prestigious Prize.

"This is a prize that pushes non-fiction boundaries," commented Noreen Taylor. "Each year the winner sets the bar higher and higher for standards of excellence in the field of a unique Canadian non-fiction genre."

The 2015 RBC Taylor Prize also includes its second annual Emerging Writers Award, which is to be given to a promising Canadian author of non-fiction selected by the winner of the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize. The recipient of the Emerging Writers Award will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize winner. The second annual winner of the Emerging Writers Award will be announced later this month.

"On behalf of RBC Wealth Management, congratulations to Plum Johnson for this outstanding achievement" said Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel. "We are proud of our ongoing commitment to supporting talented Canadian authors and their passion for literary excellence through the RBC Taylor Prize. Presented annually 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 RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Since its inception as The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, the Prize has helped engage Canadians in literary non-fiction and boost sales of its finalists' books."

About the RBC Taylor Prize:The RBC Taylor Prize is awarded annually to the author whose book best combines an excellent command of the English language, an elegance of style, quality of thought, and subtlety of perception. The Prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each of the runners-up. 

The Emerging Writer's award was established in 2013 to provide recognition and assistance to a Canadian published author who is working on a significant writing project, preferably but not limited to literary non-fiction. Through mentorship from the nominating author, and a $10,000 cash award, it is intended that the writer will be able to progress toward the creation of a first draft work. 

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Michael Bradley (Toronto), Vijay Parmar (Toronto), David Staines (Ottawa), and Noreen Taylor (Toronto).

The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management, its major sponsor is Metropia, its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail (exclusive newspaper sponsor), CNW Group, The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean's magazine, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, International Festival of Authors (IFOA), The Omni King Edward Hotel, and The Toronto Library Board.
For more information visit: www.rbctaylorprize.ca. For more information about the finalists visit www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2015/finalists_15.asp. Visit RBC Taylor Prize on Twitter at www.twitter.com/taylorprize. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RBCTaylorPrize.
To download high-resolution images of our 2015 winner, the jury, finalists, and all shortlisted titles, please go to www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2015/photogallery_15.asp


Image with caption: "Taylor Prize winner 2015 Plum Johnson and Noreen Taylor, founder RBC Taylor Prize - Photo Tom Sandler (CNW Group/RBC Taylor Prize)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150302_C8712_PHOTO_EN_12734.jpg

Image with caption: "2015 RBC Taylor Prize winner Plum Johnson - Photo Tom Sandler (CNW Group/RBC Taylor Prize)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150302_C8712_PHOTO_EN_12735.jpg

SOURCE RBC Taylor Prize

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Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates; Stephen Weir: 416.489.5868 | cell: 416.801.3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com