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

Short List for RBC Taylor Prize Is Full Of Surprisze

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RBC Taylor Prize Jury Names 2019’s Five Best Books in Cdn Literary Non-Fiction

At a standing-room-only press conference held in downtown Toronto, the RBC Taylor Prize jury announced the five finalists for the eighteenth RBC Taylor Prize, selected from their previously announced ten-title longlist. In all, the jury, composed of Camilla Gibb, Roy MacGregor and Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin read and evaluated over 115 non-fiction books by Canadian writers submitted by Canadian and international publishers.

The shortlist and jury citations for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize are:

Just Let Me Look at You: On Fatherhood, by Bill Gaston, published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Canada

Bill Gaston sets out on a solitary journey eighty miles across the Salish Sea in a boat he describes as “a piece of junk.” He’s heading back to the bittersweet place where he spent time as a child living aboard a boat with his father, learning to fish and learning to be wary of the fluctuations in his father’s moods when he drank. This is a quiet, meditative and tender-hearted exploration of childhood injury and its legacy across generations.

Jan in 35 Pieces: A Memoir in Music, by Ian Hampton, published by Porcupine’s Quill

Cellist Ian Hampson has created a lyrical reflection on the world of music and classical composers and musicians in the seven decades since World War II. Beautifully written, the book is structured around thirty-five pieces of memorable music. In vivid strokes, Hampson introduces us to the great conductors, performers and composers he encountered as a musician in England, California and finally, the west coast of Canada. Along the way, he introduces us to some of the finest music the world has produced. By turns reflective and humorous, this beautifully paced book chronicles the trials and triumphs of a life devoted to music and defined by the people he worked with and loved.

Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road, by Kate Harris, published by Knopf Canada.

From her vantage point of a student of the history of science, explorer and adventurer, Kate Harris presents a rare and unique vision of world, and explores the nature of boundaries. Unable to realize her childhood dream of travelling to Mars, she decides to trace Marco Polo’s Silk Road by bicycle. Vivid descriptions of the places and people she meets inspire deep and eclectic reflections on the nature of the world, wilderness, and the struggle of humans to define and limit them. This is a book that changes how one thinks about the world and the human compulsion to define it.

All Things Consoled: A Daughter’s Memoir, by Elizabeth Hay, published by McClelland & Stewart

In this brilliant and honest memoir, Elizabeth Hay traces the final decline of her parents — her father, a proud and ambitious school teacher possessed of a terrifying temper and moods of melancholy, and her mother, who kept the family peace and reconciled herself to life through painting. As she cares for her parents in their final days, Elizabeth — the difficult daughter — describes the truth of who they are and what they did. Tender, witty and brutally honest, the book tears open the cloak of shared secrecy to bare the dynamics of a family — the fears, sibling rivalries, joys, disappointments and grievances that have lain unacknowledged through the decades.

Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, by Darrel McLeod, published by Douglas & MacIntyre.

A torturously-beautiful memoir of growing up in a world of violence and family trauma. McLeod’s writing is lyrical and offers a powerful examination of contemporary issues, from sexual self-identification to the scars of residential school to the contemporary search for reconciliation. “Mamaskatch” means “shared dream” in Cree, and while there are unavoidable nightmares along the journey, there are also dreams of hope, at times of exquisite beauty and renewed pride.

Noreen Taylor, founder of the Prize and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, spoke at the event and made these comments: “One of the many joys of my “job” is being brought into the orbit, on the page and in person, of the many astounding storytellers and truthsayers of our country. The searches that they describe — for truth, for reconciliation of all sorts, and for beauty, in people, art, nature — give us pause to consider the world and the people around us, and give us hope”.

Also in attendance was Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, who added: “Congratulations to each of the authors who have been shortlisted for this year’s RBC Taylor Prize. This list reflects the best of Canadian non-fiction writers and celebrates their achievements. RBC Wealth Management is proud to sponsor the Prize as it helps put our country’s distinctive voice on the global literary stage by shining a spotlight on our talented writers from coast-to-coast.”

Public events already confirmed for the finalists include a free 90-minute Round Table Discussion with the shortlisted authors in the Brigantine Room at Harbourfront, hosted by Toronto Star Books Editor, Deborah Dundas, on Thursday February 28, 2018 at 7pm presented by the Toronto International Festival of Authors; and the Ben McNally Authors Brunch on Sunday March 3rd, at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto (for tickets, please contact Ben McNally Books at 416 361-0032 or visit benmcnallybooks.com).

The RBC Taylor Prize winner will be revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday March 4th, 2018. The Prize luncheon will once again be held at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.

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 $5,000 for each of the finalists, 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. 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.

Continuing that commitment to emerging Canadian talent, we will again present the RBC Taylor Prize Emergent Author Mentorship Program, of nationally selected non-fiction writers from several of the many prestigious writing programs in Canada. The five selected Emergent writers will be paired with a shortlisted author and will travel to Toronto for professional development and mentorship.

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. Open Book is a Friend of the Prize.

To download high-resolution images of the shortlisted authors

Ross King Wins the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize for Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies

Ross King holds his RBC Taylor Prize trophy - Tom Sandler photo

The Winner of the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize is Ross King (Oxford, England) for his book Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies by Ross King (Oxford, England), published by Bond Street Books. The $25,000 award was announced today by Prize founder and Chair Noreen Taylor during a gala luncheon celebrating this year’s finalists at The Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto. In addition to the cash prize, Mr. King received a crystal trophy and a leather-bound version of his book.

Vijay Parmar (l), Ross King and Prize founder Noreen Taylor - photo Tom Sandler

Noreen Taylor, prize founder and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation expressed her delight, stating: “Well-crafted prose assumes even greater prestige and authority as we face a near-daily barrage of ‘alternative facts’ and things that read ‘as if’ they are true. The RBC Taylor Prize is proud to continue our tradition of support for this essential branch of our national literature. Of course, the task of championing the best in non-fiction reading is a whole lot easier when you have such fine writers as the 2017 finalists.”

Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, added: “On behalf of RBC Wealth Management, congratulations to Ross King on this remarkable achievement. He joins an impressive list of authors who have played a part in shaping our country’s literary non-fiction landscape. We are proud to partner with the Charles Taylor Foundation in recognizing the amazing talent of Canadian non-fiction writers as Presenting Sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize.”

In its citation of the winning book, the jury notes: “Claude Monet’s Water Lilies paintings in the Musée de l’Orangerie at the Jardin Tuileries rank among the greatest masterpieces of world art. Their creation came late in Monet’s life when cataracts marred his sight, death struck his wife and son, and war raged close to his lily ponds at Giverny. Ross King brilliantly captures the furies of Monet and the enormous challenges he overcame in painting the twenty-two panels of lilies that surround l’Orangerie. An exceptional art historian, King grasps the political tempests of wartime France, and his portrait of Monet’s close friend, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, will be essential reading for all who want to understand the intersection of politics, nationalism, and culture in France during the First World War. In this elegantly written and superbly researched book, Ross King illuminates Water Lilies and Monet as no one has before.”

About the winner: Ross King is the author of The Judgment of Paris, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling, Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven and Leonardo and the Last Supper. His work has twice won the Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction and has been shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize. Born and raised in Canada, he holds degrees from the University of Regina, York University in Toronto and University College, London. He now lives near Oxford, England.

The four remaining finalists — Max Eisen (Toronto, ON) for By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz, published by HarperCollins Publishers; Matti Friedman (Jerusalem) for Pumpkinflowers: An Israeli Soldier’s Story, published by Signal/McClelland & Stewart; Marc Raboy (Montreal, QC) for Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World, published by Oxford University Press; and Diane Schoemperlen (Kingston, ON) for This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Love, Prison, and Other Complications, published by HarperCollins Canada — each received a $2000 honorarium, a leather-bound version of their book, and extensive publicity.

Noreen Taylor and Ross King - Tom Sandler photo

The jurors for the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize are John English, Ann MacMillan, and Colin McAdam. They read and evaluated 101 books written by Canadian authors and submitted by 29 Canadian and international publishers to determine the winner for this, the sixteenth awarding of the prestigious prize.

Established as a biennial prize 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.

Sharing a commitment to emerging Canadian talent, the Charles Taylor Foundation and RBC will also grant the fourth annual RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writers Award. Shortly after the announcement of the 2017 Prize, its winner will name their choice of emerging author to receive this $10,000 award.

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Michael Bradley, Vijay Parmar, David Staines, Edward Taylor, Nadina Taylor, and Noreen Taylor

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

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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

Five of Canada's best named to Taylor prize finalist list today

 

Noreen Taylor, founder of the RBC Taylor Prize, announces  the five books that have been named to the Prize's 2015 Finalist List.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 • Toronto, Ontario: For immediate Release 

THE FINALISTS FOR THE FOURTEENTH RBC TAYLOR PRIZE

Shortlisted authors based in Ontario, Quebec and London, England

AT A NEWS CONFERENCE, held on Wednesday, January 14th, in Toronto, jurors Ms. Kevin Garland, Martin Levin, and Andrew Preston, named five authors as this year’s finalists for The 2015 RBC Taylor Prize.

The five finalists and their books are: They Left Us Everything by PLUM JOHNSON (Toronto, Ontario), published by Penguin Canada; One Day in August:The Untold Story Behind Canada’s Tragedy at Dieppe by DAVID O'KEEFE (Montreal, Quebec), published by Random House Canada; The Last Asylum: A Memoir of Madness in our Times by BARBARA TAYLOR (London, England), published by Hamish Hamilton Canada; And Home Was Kariakoo: A Memoir of East Africa by M. G. VASSANJI (Toronto, Ontario), published by Doubleday Canada; Boundless by KATHLEEN WINTER (Montreal, Quebec), published by House of Anansi Press.

“These five books represent not only the finest non-fiction written in Canada today but also represent the topics that Canadians find interesting,” said Prize founder Noreen Taylor. "Taken collectively, they present a fascinating glimpse of the lens we look through when we view ourselves, our history, and the world beyond our borders.”

"RBC Wealth Management is honoured to be the title sponsor of Canada’s most prestigious non-fiction prize,” said Vijay Parmar, President, RBC PH&N Investment Counsel. “The RBC Taylor Prize fosters literary excellence and aligns with RBC’s overall commitment to the arts. We strongly believe that art has the power to enrich our lives and enhance our communities and therefore are thrilled to play a part in helping to raise the profile of those writers who make an indelible mark on Canadian literature.”

The RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. All finalists will be supported by extensive publicity and promotional opportunities over the next two months. The five authors will take part in a free Round Table discussion at the Toronto Reference Library in downtown Toronto on Thursday February 26th at 7:00 pm. This public author event is sponsored by the International Festival of Authors (IFOA), The Toronto Public Library and The Globe and Mail newspaper. As well, they will appear on stage at The Globe and Mail / Ben McNally Authors’ Brunch on Sunday, March 1st at the Omni King Edward Hotel. For tickets:www.benmcnallybooks.com.

This will be the fourteenth awarding of The RBC Taylor Prize. The prize consists of $25,000 and a crystal trophy for the winning author and $2,000 for each of the runners-up as well as extensive national publicity and promotional support to help all books stand out in the national media and book retailers across the country. The winner of this year's prize will be announced at a gala luncheon and awards ceremony at The King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto on Monday, March 2nd.

Sharing a commitment to emerging Canadian artists, The Charles Taylor Foundation and RBC will also grant the second annual RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writers Award. Shortly after the March 2nd luncheon an emerging author will be selected by the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize winner.

At the Wednesday morning News Conference each jury citation for the five finalists and their books was read out. Those citations are as follows:

Plum Johnson for They Left Us Everything, published by Penguin Canada

The jury notes: “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.’”

David O’Keefe for One Day in August: The Untold Story Behind Canada’s Tragedy at Dieppe, published by Random House Canada

The jury notes: “Ever since news of its failure rippled across the Atlantic 72 years ago, the Dieppe raid has been a staple of Canadian history and a touchstone of our national identity. It is difficult to imagine that a historian could have anything genuinely new to say about it, yet David O’Keefe shows a new side to the story. Highly original and bracingly revisionist, One Day in August is that rare book that is able to say something new about something so familiar. Based on extensive research in official records in Canada and Britain, many of them previously undiscovered or long-forgotten, One Day in August is historical writing at its best: engrossing, revealing, and enlightening. It should be required reading for all Canadians.”

Barbara Taylor for The Last Asylum: A Memoir of Madness in our Times, published by Hamish Hamilton Canada

The jury notes: “A work of major substance and shocking honesty, The Last Asylum is a haunting tale of madness in the modern age. In this beautifully written memoir, Barbara Taylor uses her own harrowing experiences in psychoanalysis not only as a vehicle for personal discovery but as a prism through which to view contemporary attitudes towards mental illness. But Taylor is also a noted scholar of modern British culture and society, and her investigative powers as a historian are also on full display in this book. She explores Friern, an insane asylum first built by the Victorians where she received extensive treatment and which serves as the backdrop for her painful but revealing personal journey. Exquisitely crafted, The Last Asylum is an intellectual and stylistic tour de force.”

M. G. Vassanji for And Home Was Kariakoo: A Memoir of East Africa, published by Doubleday Canada

The jury notes: “In And Home Was Kariakoo, novelist M. G. Vassanji has written both an evocative memoir of his childhood in East Africa and a searching look at Tanzania and Kenya today. Returning in his sixties to his old neighbourhood in Dar es Salaam, and then embarking on a journey that takes him on local buses over rutted, barely passable roads to villages and ghost settlements, he changes the lens through which we view Africa. Vassanji casts a cool and unsparingly critical eye over the slave trade, colonialism and leftist revolutionaries, over the “beggar” mentality that pervades these countries and donor celebrities courting publicity. At the same time, he evokes the teeming aliveness of east Africa, its heat, its smells, its exotic foods and the surprising joyfulness of its people. In his journey, the reader too uncovers an Africa deserving respect rather than pity.”

Kathleen Winter for Boundless, published by House of Anansi Press

The jury notes: “In this evocative travel memoir, Kathleen Winter joins an expedition through the North West Passage as official trip “writer.” Thus begins her very personal voyage. As the ship sails into the Canadian Arctic, following the path of the doomed Franklin expedition, she reflects on the extraordinary life her parents chose as British emigrants settling in the wilds of Newfoundland. The events of the voyage are interwoven with her childhood memories, her struggles with adulthood and aging, her often intense engagement with fellow travelers, and breathtaking descriptions of the arctic light, the sea, the ice, the stark landscapes, and the people. The impact of climate change, and Canadian policies and inattention to First Nations are clearly and judiciously presented. The deep impact of this unplanned voyage on Winter’s connection to our natural world is beautifully and poetically told.”

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 Authors at Harbourfront Centre, Ben McNally Books, Event Source, Kobo Inc., The Toronto Library Board, and The Omni King Edward Hotel.

For more information visit: www.rbctaylorprize.ca.

For more information about the finalists visithttp://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.

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Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates

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

To download high-resolution images of the jury, finalists, and shortlisted titles, please go to:www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2015/photogallery_15.asp

The presentation of the first ever RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award took place tonight during an evening of Aboriginal storytelling hosted by RBC Wealth Management and the RBC Taylor Prize.  The award was presented to author, academic, storyteller and Native Peoples activist Leanne Simpson Ph.D (second from left).  On stage with this year's winner is Vijay Parmar, President RBC PH&N Investment Counsel (left), RBC Taylor Prize winner Thomas King (second from right) and Prize founder Noreen Taylor (right). picture  by Weir

 

Leanne Simpson presented with inaugural RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award

during a Native Peoples storytelling event at Toronto’s Harbourfront

 

The presentation of the first ever RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award took place tonight during an evening of Aboriginal storytelling hosted by RBC Wealth Management and the RBC Taylor Prize.  RBC Wealth Management and Taylor Prize created the $10,000 award to promote emerging Canadian talent in non-fiction, as well as the opportunity to be mentored by the nominating RBC Taylor Prize winner. The award was presented to author, academic, storyteller and Native Peoples activist Leanne Simpson Ph.D. by Taylor Foundation Chair, Noreen Taylor. 

 

As this year’s RBC Taylor Prize winner, it was Thomas King’s role to choose the recipient of the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award. This was the first time that the two authors have shared a stage since he announced his selection.

 

“For me, Leanne Simpson was an obvious choice,” said Thomas King. “She is a gifted writer who brings passion and commitment to her storytelling and who has demonstrated an uncommon ability to manage an impressive range of genres from traditional story- telling to critical analysis, from poetry to the spoken word, from literary and social activism to song-writing. She is, in my opinion, one of the more articulate and engaged voices of her generation.”

 

“Thomas King is a gifted writer, performer, story-teller and one of my biggest influences,” said Dr.  Simpson. “His impact on my generation of Indigenous artists and writers is profound and I will be forever grateful to him for his brilliant body of work. His work lifts Indigenous peoples up, he makes us laugh out loud, and most importantly, he speaks our truths. With this award I can continue the work I started in Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back, and along with many others, move towards creating a just relationship between Indigenous nations and Canada.”

 

Leanne Simpson holds a Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba and is an instructor at the Centre for World Indigenous Knowledge, Athabasca University. She has published over thirty scholarly articles and authored five books that draw upon her extensive knowledge of Indigenous Peoples. She has also written articles for Canadian magazines and newspapers. In 2012 she won Briarpatch Magazine’s Writing from the Margins competition for short fiction.

 

Ms. Simpson is a member of the Alderville First Nation (Rice Lake, Ontario). For the past 15 years, she has worked with Indigenous communities and organizations in Canada and internationally on environmental, governance and political issues. Her third book, Dancing On Our Turtle’s Back (AK Press) stresses the importance of illuminating indigenous intellectual traditions in order to transfer that relationship to the Canadian state.

 

Thomas King is a novelist, short-story writer, nonfiction author, screenwriter, and photographer. He was born in the US, the son of a Greek mother and a Cherokee father. Before immigrating to Canada, Thomas King worked as an administrator and teacher at Humboldt State University and the University of Utah (PhD 1986). He accepted a position in Native Studies at the University of Lethbridge and soon began writing serious fiction. Often described as one of the finest contemporary Native America writers, two of King’s books have been nominated for Governor General’s Awards. In 2003, King was the first Native Canadian to deliver the Massey Lectures. The author currently teaches English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph.

 

“One writer’s admiration for another is an age-old tradition, and one that the RBC Taylor Emerging Writers Award is formalizing, “explained Noreen Taylor, “This new award brings together writers who have had an appreciation of each other’s work and, with its mentoring element, helps forge stronger bonds between the authors. Thomas King has found Leanne to have one of the more gifted and engaging voices of her generation.  Meanwhile, Leanne has credited Tom with being a major influence in her writing.  I know that, as readers, we will reap the greatest reward.”

 

“On behalf of RBC, we congratulate Leanne Simpson for winning this prestigious award,” said Vijay Parmar, President RBC PH&N Investment Counsel. “RBC is deeply committed to supporting emerging writers, such as Leanne, and their passion for literary excellence in Canada.  We are thrilled that, through the new RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award, we will be able to help cultivate the talents of the next generation of writers in Canada by providing both financial and professional development opportunities to hone their craft.”

 

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 literary non-fiction. Through mentorship from the nominating author, and the cash award, it is intended that the writer will be able to progress toward the creation of a first draft.

 

About RBC Wealth Management

 

RBC Wealth Management is one of the world’s top 10 largest wealth managers*. RBC Wealth Management directly serves affluent, high-net-worth and ultra-high net worth clients in Canada, the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia with a full suite of banking, investment, trust and other wealth management solutions. The business also provides asset management products and services directly and through RBC and third party distributors to institutional and individual clients, through its RBC Global Asset Management business (which includes BlueBay Asset Management). RBC Wealth Management has more than C$690 billion of assets under administration, more than C$426 billion of assets under management and approximately 4,400 financial consultants, advisors, private bankers, and trust officers. For more information, please visit www.rbcwealthmanagement.com

 

 

About RBC

 

Royal Bank of Canada is Canada’s largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We employ approximately 79,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 42 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

 

Leanne Simpson

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2013, we contributed more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $69 million and $35 million in sponsorships. Learn more at www.rbc.com/community-sustainability.

 

*Scorpio Partnership Global Private Banking KPI Benchmark 2013. In the United States, securities are offered through RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

 

About the RBC Taylor Prize

 

The RBC Taylor Prize was founded to commemorate the life of the late Charles Taylor, one of Canada’s foremost essayists and a prominent member of the Canadian literary community. Charles Taylor was a foreign correspondent with The Globe and Mail and the author of four books: Radical Tories; Reporter in Red China; Six Journeys: A Canadian Pattern; and Snow Job.

 

The Trustees of the Charles Taylor Prize Foundation are Michael Bradley (Toronto), David Staines (Ottawa), and Noreen Taylor (Toronto). The Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of RBC Wealth Management as its presenting sponsor; along with its major sponsor Metropia; and greatly appreciates the support of its media sponsors The Globe and Mail; Maclean’s magazine, CNW Group; The Huffington Post Canada and Quill & Quire magazine; and in-kind sponsors: Authors at Harbourfront Centre, Ben McNally Books, Event Source and The Omni King Edward Hotel.

 

For further information please visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca Facebook: www.facebook.com/RBCTaylorPrize | Follow us on Twitter: @taylorprize

George Socka posted a video about Leanne Simpson receiving the RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Authors Award from Tom King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvkhLe0xNGs …