Transatlantic is elated to share the good news that clients Angela Sterritt’s, UNBROKEN: MY FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL, HOPE, AND JUSTICE FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS (Greystone) and Emily Urquhart’s, ORDINARY WONDER TALES: ESSAYS (Biblioasis) have been shortlisted for the 2023 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction!
The Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction is given annually for excellence in the category of literary nonfiction, which includes essays, history, biography, memoir, commentary, and criticism. The winning book demonstrates a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and technique. This award has been sponsored by The Hon. Hilary M. Weston since 2011 and is funded this year by the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation. Beginning in 2023, the prize purse has increased from $60,000 to $75,000.
What the jury had to say about the shortlisted books:
“Angela Sterritt’s UNBROKEN is a masterclass in investigative journalism. Weaving a memoir of survival on the streets together with the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, Sterritt creates a book that is as necessary and urgent as it is beautiful. Infused with vulnerability and bravery, Unbroken balances intergenerational trauma with hope that is authentic, hard-earned, and very, very real. With the heart and instinct of a practiced storyteller, as well as the research skills of a seasoned reporter who leaves no stone unturned, Sterritt offers her own story as a light that shines on one of the darkest ongoing episodes in modern Canadian history.”
“Emily Urquhart’s collection of essays about folklore, storytelling, and wonder weaves its own magic as it draws the reader deep into the heart of imagination and possibility. From a haunting childhood encounter to a deeply moving exploration of dementia, Ordinary Wonder Tales delights in the knowledge that the world can be both real and imagined. As we read, we discover that no trauma in a person’s life ever sets them fully apart. Rather, human tragedies are endlessly absorbed and transformed by the wonder tales we share to bring us back to the fullness of life.”
The winner will be announced on November 21 2023!
Angela and Emily are both represented by Samantha Haywood.
Congratulations!