Ottawa Book Award and Prix du livre d'Ottawa is a Canadian literary award presented by the City of Ottawa to the best English and French language books written in the previous year by a living author residing in Ottawa.2011 Guidelines for Authors and Publishers, Ottawa Book Awards website There are four awards each year: English fiction and non-fiction (the Ottawa Book Awards); French fiction and non-fiction (Prix du livre d'Ottawa). As of 2011 the four prize winners receive $7,500 each and short-listed authors $1,000 each. The award was founded in 1986. In its earlier years it was named the Ottawa-Carleton Book Awards.
From 1986 to 1990, only a single winner was named each year, with the prize alternating between non-fiction in even-numbered years and fiction in odd-numbered years. Beginning in 1991, separate awards were created for English and French literature,"Ottawa writers big winners; Top prize split between English, French authors for the first time in Valley festival". Ottawa Citizen, April 27, 1991. although the alternation between non-fiction and fiction titles each year continued until 2004; ever since, four awards have been presented annually for both English and French fiction and non-fiction. Despite being named as "fiction", however, the fiction category is also open to poetry titles.
Each category is presented only if the committee has received at least five eligible submissions within the appropriate eligibility period. If this benchmark is not reached, then no award is presented in that category; instead, any submissions that were received are forwarded for consideration in the following year, while the prize money is rolled back into the city's annual arts granting program.Burt Heward, "Sawatsky wins top literary prize; ottawa-Carleton award goes to author who tracked Mulroney's rise to power". Ottawa Citizen, May 2, 1992. To date, only the French categories have ever been delayed in this manner, with the French non-fiction category impacted much more frequently than the French fiction category.
Although administered separately, the Archibald Lampman Award for poetry is also typically presented at the same time as the Ottawa Book Awards announcements.
Winners Fiction (1986-1990) 1987 - John Metcalf, Adult EntertainmentBurt Heward, "Ottawa author-critic Metcalf wins $2,000 literary award". Ottawa Citizen, May 2, 1987. 1989 - Maurice Henrie, La Chambre à mourirBurt Heward, "Festival's top award goes to francophone". Ottawa Citizen, April 22, 1989.
Non-fiction (1986-1990) 1986 - Joan Finnigan, Legacies, Legends and Lies and Jean Bruce, Back the Attack! : Canadian Women During the Second World WarBurt Heward, "Oral historians share Ottawa-Carleton book award". Ottawa Citizen, April 19, 1986. 1988 - Patricia Morley, Kurelek: A BiographyBurt Heward, "Life of Kurelek top winner". Ottawa Citizen, April 23, 1998. 1990 - Roy MacGregor, Chief: The Fearless Vision of Billy DiamondBurt Heward, "MacGregor takes top book prize". Ottawa Citizen, April 28, 1990.
English fiction (1991-present) 1991 - Rita Donovan, Dark Jewels 1993 - Rita Donovan, Daisy Circus and Nadine McInnis, The Litmus BodyBurt Heward, "Authors share ottawa-carleton fiction awards". Ottawa Citizen, May 1, 1993. pp. 0-F4. Database: ProQuest Newsstand. 1995 - John Barton, Notes Towards a Family Tree and Frances Itani, Man Without FaceCharles Gordon, "Ottawa man captures two awards for poetry". Ottawa Citizen, May 6, 1995. 1997 - Patrick Kavanagh, Gaff TopsailsJenny Jackson, "Author's first novel captures top prize". Ottawa Citizen, May 10, 1997. 1999 - Alan Cumyn, Man of BoneJenny Jackson, "Novelist wins $2000 award". Ottawa Citizen, April 25, 1999. 2001 - Alan Cumyn, Burridge UnboundPaul Gessell, "Cumyn captures book prize -- again". Ottawa Citizen, April 27, 2001. 2003 - Brian Doyle, Mary Ann AlicePaul Gessell, "Doyle wins prize for latest novel: Ottawa Literary Awards presented last night". Ottawa Citizen, April 25, 2003. 2004 - Elizabeth Hay, Garbo LaughsPaul Gessell, "Ice storm of '98 stars in story chosen as best work of fiction". Ottawa Citizen, April 22, 2004. 2005 - Frances Itani, Poached Egg on Toast 2006 - John-James Ford, Bonk on the Head and John Geddes, The Sundog Season 2007 - Janet Lunn, A Rebel's Daughter 2008 - Elizabeth Hay, Late Nights on Air 2009 - Andrew Steinmetz, Eva’s Threepenny Theatre 2010 - Craig Poile, True Concessions"Ottawa Book Awards honour works by Poile, Horrall, Rochon; Authors receive recognition for poetry, non-fiction, French fiction". Ottawa Citizen, October 30, 2010. Database: ProQuest Newsstand. 2011 - Gabriella Goliger, Girl Unwrapped"Old Ottawa South resident awarded for Girl Unwrapped." (2011, November 4). Ottawa This Week West [Ottawa, Ontario], p. 1. Gale Document Number: GALE|A272194183 2012 - Jamieson Findlay, The Summer of Permanent Wants 2013 - Missy Marston, The Love Monster 2014 - David O'Meara, A Pretty Sight 2015 - Scott Randall, And to Say Hello 2016 - Nadine McInnis, Delirium for Solo Harp 2017 - John Metcalf, The Museum at the End of the WorldRyan B. Patrick, "Charlotte Gray, John Metcalf and Andrée Christensen win 2017 Ottawa Book Awards". CBC Books, July 13, 2017. 2018 - Shane Rhodes, Dead White Men 2019 - Kagiso Lesego Molope, This Book Betrays My Brother 2020 - Henry Beissel, Footprints of Dark Energy 2021 - Conyer Clayton, We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite 2022 - David O'Meara, Masses on RadarLynn Saxberg, "Poet O'Meara scoops two more Ottawa book awards". Ottawa Citizen, October 21, 2022. 2023 - Jean Van Loon, Nuclear Family"Tim Cook and Jean Van Loon among winners of 2023 Ottawa Book Awards". Quill & Quire, October 13, 2023. 2024 - Sandra Ridley, Vixen 2025 - Nina Berkhout, This Bright Dust
English non-fiction (1991-present) 1992 - John Sawatsky, Mulroney: The Politics of Ambition 1994 - Penelope Williams, That Other Place: A Personal Account of Breast Cancer 1996 - Clyde Sanger, Malcolm MacDonald: Bringing an End to Empire 1998 - Isaac Vogelfanger, Red Tempest 2000 - Roy MacGregor, A Life in the Bush: Lessons From My Father 2002 - Anna Heilman, Never Far Away 2004 - Madelaine Drohan, Making a Killing: How and Why Corporations Use Armed Force to Do Business 2005 - Valerie Knowles, From Telegrapher to Titan: The Life of William C. Van Horne 2006 - Heather Menzies, No Time: Stress and the Crisis of Modern Life 2007 - Charlotte Gray, Reluctant Genius: The Passionate Life and Inventive Mind of Alexander Graham Bell 2008 - Tim Cook, At the Sharp End: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1914-1916 2009 - Kerry Pither, Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror 2010 - Andrew Horrall, Bringing Art to Life: a Biography of Alan Jarvis 2011 - Eric Enno Tamm, The Horse that Leaps Through Clouds 2012 - Ruth B. Phillips, Museum Pieces: Toward the Indigenization of Canadian Museums 2013 - Michael Petrou, Is This Your First War? Travels through the Post - 9/11 Islamic World 2014 - Paul Wells, The Longer I'm Prime Minister: Stephen Harper and Canada, 2006 2015 - Heather Menzies, Reclaiming the Commons for the Common Good 2016 - Tim Cook, Fight to the Finish: Canadians in the Second World War, 1944-1945 2017 - Charlotte Gray, The Promise of Canada: 150 Years - People and Ideas that Have Shaped our Country 2018 - Roy MacGregor, Original Highways: Travelling the Great Rivers of Canada 2019 - Tim Cook, The Secret History of Soldiers: How Canadians Survived the Great War 2020 - Beverley McLachlin, Truth Be Told: My Journey Through Life and the Law 2021 - Suzanne Evans, The Taste of Longing: Ethel Mulvany and Her Starving Prisoners of War Cookbook 2022 - Fen Osler Hampson and Mike Blanchfield, The Two Michaels: Innocent Canadian Captives and High Stakes Espionage in the US-China Cyber War 2023 - Tim Cook, Lifesavers and Body Snatchers: Medical Care and the Struggle for Survival in the Great War 2024 - Huda Mukbil, Agent of Change: My life Fighting Terrorists, Spies and Institutional Racism 2025 - Denise Chong, Out of Darkness: Rumana Monzur's Journey through Betrayal, Tyranny and Abuse
French fiction (1991-present) 1991 - Daniel Poliquin, Visions de Jude 1993 - Maurice Henrie, Le Pont sur le temps and Gabrielle Poulin, Petites fugues pour une saison sèche 1995 - Andrée Christensen, Noces d’ailleurs 1997 - Maurice Henrie, Le Balcon dans le ciel 1999 - Pierre Raphaël Pelletier, Il faut crier l’injure 2001 - Nicole V. Champeau, Dans les pas de la louve and Michèle Matteau, Quatuor pour cordes sensibles 2003 - Jean Mohsen Fahmy, Ibn Kaldoun: l'honneur et la disgrâce and Nancy Vickers, La Petite Vieille aux poupées 2004 - Maurice Henrie, Mémoire Vive 2005 - Maurice Henrie, Les roses et le verglas and Michel Thérien, L’aridité des fleuves 2006 - Gilles Lacombe, Trafiquante de lumière 2007 - Daniel Poliquin, La Kermesse 2008 - Andrée Christensen, Depuis toujours, j’entendais la mer 2009 - Margaret Michèle Cook, Chronos à sa table de travail 2010 - Claire Rochon, Fragments de Sifnos 2011 - not awarded 2012 - Estelle Beauchamp, Un souffle venu de loin 2013 - Marie-Josée Martin, Un jour, ils entendront mes silences 2014 - not awarded 2015 - Blaise Ndala, J’irai danser sur la tombe de Senghor 2016 - Pierre-Luc Landry, Les corps extraterrestres 2017 - Andrée Christensen, Épines d'encre 2018 - Alain Bernard Marchand, Sept vies, dix-sept morts 2019 - Andrée Christensen, L'Isle aux abeilles noires 2020 - Véronique Sylvain, Premier quart 2021 - Monia Mazigh, Farida 2022 - Michèle Vinet, Le Malaimant 2023 - Nancy Vickers, Capharnaüm 2024 - Sébastien Pierroz, Deux heures avant la fin de l’été
French non-fiction (1991-present) 1992 - not awarded 1994 - Gilberte Paquette, Dans le sillage d’Élizabeth Bruyère 1996 - Elisabeth J. Lacelle, L’incontournable échange. Conversations oecuméniques et pluridisciplinaires 1998 - René Dionne, Histoire de la Littérature Franco-Ontarienne des origines à nos jours 2000 - Patricia Smart, Les femmes du Refus Global 2002 - Françoise Lepage, Histoire de la littérature pour la jeunesse 2004 - Mila Younes, Ma mère, ma fille, ma sœur 2005 - not awarded 2006 - Réjean Robidoux, D’éloge et de critique 2007 - not awarded 2008 - not awarded 2009 - Maurice Henrie, Esprit de sel 2010 - not awarded 2011 - Lucie Joubert, L’envers du landau 2012 - not awarded 2013 - not awarded 2014 - Philippe Bernier Arcand, La dérive populiste 2015 - not awarded 2016 - Patricia Smart, De Marie de l'Incarnation à Nelly Arcan 2017 - not awarded 2018 - not awarded 2019 - Yvon Malette, Entre le risque et le rêve : Une brève histoire des Éditions David 2020 - not awarded 2021 - Nicole V. Champeau, Niagara…la voie qui y mène 2022 - not awarded 2023 - Maurice Henrie, La tête haute 2024 - not awarded
References
External links Ottawa Book Awards