We, at the Manitoba Writers’ Guild, are pleased to announce this year’s winners of the
Manitoba Book Awards / Les Prix du livre du Manitoba
2021 Winners List
Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction / Prix Alexander-Kennedy-Isbister pour les études et essais
Sponsor: Manitoba Arts Council
Winner – Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory by David A. Robertson, published by HarperCollins
Nominees:
For The W: A Look Back at the 2019 Grey Cup Championship Season by Ed Tait, edited by Rhéanne Marcoux, published by The Winnipeg Football Club
Peculiar Lessons: How Nature and the Material World Shaped a Prairie Childhood by Lois Braun, published by Great Plains Publications
Reinventing Bankruptcy Law: A History of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act by Virginia Torrie, published by University of Toronto Press
Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award / Prix littéraire Carol-Shields de la ville de Winnipeg
Sponsor: Winnipeg Arts Council, with funding from the City of Winnipeg
Winner – Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory by David A. Robertson, published by HarperCollins
Nominees:
Dispelling the Clouds: A Desperate Social Experiment by Wilma Derksen, published by Amity Publishers
From the Roots Up: Surviving the City, Vol. 2 by Tasha Spillett, illustrations by Natasha Donovan, published by HighWater Press
Harley’s Bootstraps by Lois C. Henderson, published by Friesen Press
TreeTalk by Ariel Gordon, with illustrations by Natalie Baird, published by At Bay Press
Vignettes from My Life by Tannis M. Richardson, published by Heartland Associates
Chris Johnson Award for Best Play by a Manitoba Playwright / Prix Chris-Johnson pour la meilleure pièce par un dramaturge manitobain
Sponsor: The Manitoba Association of Playwrights (MAP)
Winner – Dragonfly by Lara Rae, published by J. Gordon Shillingford
Nominees:
How it Ends by Debbie Patterson
Produced by Sick & Twisted Theatre
Inédit par Eric Plamondon, publié par by Les Éditions du Blé
The Paper Bag Princess by Alissa Watson
Produced by Prairie Theatre Exchange
Torn Through Time by Carrie Costello, Frances Koncan, and Cherissa Richards
Produced by Manitoba Theatre for Young People
Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book
Sponsor: The Winnipeg Foundation
Winner – Once Removed by Andrew Unger, published by Turnstone Press
Nominees:
A Strange Kind of Comfort by Gaylene Dutchyshen, published by Dundurn Press
Heart Broken: Our Family’s Story of Surviving Medical Tragedy by Donald Lepp, published by Word Alive Press
Tablet Fragments by Tamar Rubin, published by Signature Editions
The Case of Windy Lake A Mighty Muskrats Mystery by Michael Hutchinson, published by Second Story Press
Manitowapow Award / Prix Manitowapow
Sponsor: Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture, University of Manitoba
Winners – Duncan Mercredi and Lenard Monkman
Nominees:
Wilfred Buck
David A. Robertson
Jen Storm
Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards / Prix Manuela-Dias de conception graphique et d’illustration en édition
I. Book Design / Conception de livre
Winner – Becoming our Future: Global Indigenous Curatorial Practice edited by Dr. Julie Nagam, Carly Lane, Megan Tamati-Quennell, original front cover design by Johnson Witehira, design and layout by Relish New Brand Experience, published by ARP Books
Nominees:
My Claustrophobic Happiness by Jeanne Randolph, book design and layout by LOKI, published by ARP Books
The Lesser Known: A History of Oddities from the Heart of the Continent by Darren Bernhardt, cover artwork by Christine Fellows, design and
typography by Relish New Brand Experience, published by Great Plains Publications
The Muse Sings by Dennis Cooley, illustrations by Cori Jaye Elston, cover and interior design by M. C. Joudrey and Matthew Stevens, published
by At Bay Press
TreeTalk by Ariel Gordon, with illustrations by Natalie Baird, cover and interior design by M. C. Joudrey and Matthew Stevens, published by At Bay Press
Words of the Inuit: A Semantic Stroll through a Northern Culture by Louis-Jacques Dorais, cover design by Marvin Harder, interior design by Jess Koroscil, published by University of Manitoba Press
II. Illustration
Winner – I Will See You Again written and illustrated by Lisa Boivin, cover and interior design by Relish New Brand Experience, published by HighWater Press
Nominees:
For The W: A Look Back at the 2019 Grey Cup Championship Season by Ed Tait, edited by Rhéanne Marcoux, cover and interior design by Rhéanne Marcoux and Carrie Berndsen, various photographers, published by The Winnipeg Football Club
The Automatic Age written, illustrated and cover design by G.M.B. Chomichuk, design assistance by Relish New Brand Experience, published by Yellow Dog, an imprint of Great Plains Publishers
III. Graphic Novel / Roman graphique
Winner – This Place: 150 Years Retold by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm et al., illustrations by Tara Audibert et al., cover and interior design by Relish New Brand Experience, published by HighWater Press
Nominees:
Breakdown: The Reckoner Rises, Vol 1 by David A. Robertson, illustrations by Scott B. Henderson and Donovan Yaciuk, cover and interior design by Jennifer Lum, published by HighWater Press
From the Roots Up: Surviving the City Vol. 2 by Tasha Spillett, illustrations by Natasha Donovan, cover and interior design by Relish New Brand Experience, published by HighWater Press
Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction
Sponsor: Manitoba Arts Council
Winner – The Lightning of Possible Storms by Jonathan Ball, published by Book*hug Press
Nominees:
Here the Dark by David Bergen, published by Biblioasis
Kate Wake by Mariianne Mays Wiebe, published by DC Books
My Claustrophobic Happiness by Jeanne Randolph, published by ARP Books
Still Me: A Golf Tragedy in 18 Parts by Jeffrey John Eyamie, published by Turnstone Press
Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher / Prix Mary-Scorer pour le meilleur livre par un éditeur du Manitoba
Sponsor: Friesens Corporation
Winner – Making Believe: Questions About Mennonites and Art by Magdalene Redekop, cover design by David Drummond, interior design by Jess Koroscil, published by University of Manitoba Press
Nominees:
Becoming Our Future: Global Indigenous Curatorial Practice edited by Dr. Julie Nagam, Carly Lane, Megan Tamati-Quennell, original front cover design by Johnson Witehira, design and layout by Relish New Brand Experience, published by ARP Books
From the Roots Up: Surviving the City Vol. 2 by Tasha Spillett, illustrations by Natasha Donovan, cover and interior design by Relish New Brand Experience, published by HighWater Press
I Will See You Again written and illustrated by Lisa Boivin, cover and interior design by Relish New Brand Experience, published by HighWater Press
TreeTalk by Ariel Gordon, with illustrations by Natalie Baird, cover and interior design by M. C. Joudrey and Matthew Stevens, published by At Bay Press
McNally Robinson Book for Young People (Older Category)
Sponsor: McNally Robinson Book Sellers
Winner – Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson, illustrations by Tara Anderson, published by Pajama Press
Nominees:
From the Roots Up: Surviving the City Vol. 2 by Tasha Spillett, illustrations by Natasha Donovan, cover and interior design by Relish New Brand Experience, published by HighWater Press
Ghosts by David A. Robertson, published by HighWater Press
The Case of the Missing Auntie – A Mighty Muskrats Mystery: Book 2 by Michael Hutchinson, published by Second Story Press
You Don’t Have to Die in the End by Anita Daher, cover design by Jennifer Gabriele, interior design by Terry Corrigan, published by Yellow Dog, an imprint of Great Plains Publications
McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award
Sponsor: McNally Robinson Book Sellers
Winner – Here the Dark by David Bergen, published by Biblioasis
Nominees:
Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory by David A. Robertson, published by Harper Collins
Dragonfly by Lara Rae, published by J. Gordon Shillingford
My Claustrophobic Happiness by Jeanne Randolph, published by ARP Books
Tablet Fragments by Tamar Rubin, published by Signature Editions
The World is Mostly Sky by Sarah Ens, published by Turnstone Press
Le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault Commandite: Conseil des arts du Manitoba
Le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault
Commandite: Conseil des arts du Manitoba
Gagnant – Boussole Franche par Amber O’Reilly, publié par Les Éditions du Blé
Candidats :
Buffet Froid par Louise Dandeneau, publié par Les Éditions du Blé
Ganiishomong: ou L’Extase du temps par J. R. Léveillé, publié par Les Éditions du Blé
Congratulations to all winners and nominees!