Four books vying to be Manitoba's best

THREE novels and a poetry collection will fight it out for the honour of being Manitoba's best book.

David Bergen's The Retreat, Joan Thomas's Reading by Lightning and Miriam Toews' The Flying Troutmans made the short list, announced Thursday, for the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award.

Maurice Mierau's poetry collection, Fear Not, also made the cut.

The winner will be announced April 25 at the annual Manitoba Book Awards ceremony.

This year's event is being organized by the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers.

Dozens of books, written by Manitobans or published by Manitoba companies, are up for a total of 13 awards worth more than $25,000 in prize money.

Here is the complete list:

McNally Robinson Book of the Year

Fear Not by Maurice Mierau, published by Turnstone Press

The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada

Reading by Lightning by Joan Thomas, published by Goose Lane Editions

The Retreat by David Bergen, published by McClelland and Stewart Ltd.

Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction

Behind the Headlines: A History of Investigative Journalism in Canada by Cecil Rosner, published by Oxford University Press

Head Space: Five Decades of Bruce Head, essays by Patricia E. Bovey and Amy Karlinsky, published by The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Lord Selkirk: A Life by J.M. Bumsted, published by University of Manitoba Press

Politics in Manitoba: Parties, Leaders, and Voters by Christopher Adams, published by University of Manitoba Press

Subconscious City, curated by Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, essays by various contributors, published by The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/Prix Lansdowne de poésie

Fear Not by Maurice Mierau, published by Turnstone Press

La Métisse filante de Laurent Poliquin, publié par L'Harmattan

The Sleeping Life by Kerry Ryan, published by The Muses' Company, an imprint of J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing

this is a small northern town by Rosanna Deerchild, published by The Muses' Company, an imprint of J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing

Best Illustrated Book of the Year

L'étang du soir de J.R. Léveillé et étienne Gaboury, graphiste Bernard Léveillé, publié par Les éditions du Blé

The Harry Winrob Collection of Inuit Sculpture, curated by Darlene Coward Wight, design by Frank Reimer, published by The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Magic at the Museum, written and illustrated by Jane Heinrichs, published by Wide Horizons Ink Publishing

Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste par Louise Duguay, graphiste Susan Chafe, publié par Les éditions du Blé

Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award

The Beech Nut of Big Water Beach by Margaret Shaw-MacKinnon, published by Aivilo Press

The Prairie Bridesmaid by Daria Salamon, published by Key Porter Books Ltd.

Saint-Boniface 1908-2008 : reflets d'une ville, sous la direction de André

Fauchon et Carol J. Harvey, publié par les Presses universitaires de Saint-Boniface

Subconscious City, curated by Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, essays by various contributors, published by The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Widows of Hamilton House by Christina Penner, published by Enfield & Wizenty

Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, published by Random House Canada

The Prairie Bridesmaid by Daria Salamon, published by Key Porter Books Ltd.

Reading by Lightning by Joan Thomas, published by Goose Lane Editions

Somewhere Else by Jan Guenther Braun, published by Arbeiter Ring Publishing

Widows of Hamilton House by Christina Penner, published by Enfield & Wizenty

John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer

Rosanna Deerchild

Christina Penner

Daria Salamon

Michael Van Rooy

Adam Smoluk

Manuela Dias Book Design of the Year

L'étang du soir de J.R. Léveillé et étienne Gaboury, graphiste Bernard

Léveillé, publié par Les éditions du Blé

The Harry Winrob Collection of Inuit Sculpture, curated by Darlene Coward

Wight, design by Frank Reimer, published by The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Head Space: Five Decades of Bruce Head, essays by Patricia E. Bovey and Amy Karlinsky, published by The Winnipeg Art Gallery

Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste par Louise Duguay, graphiste Susan Chafe, publié par Les éditions du Blé

Sheila Spence: Pictures of Me, curated by Mary Reid, design by Lisa Friesen, published by The Winnipeg Art gallery

Subconscious City, curated by Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, design by Lisa Friesen, published by The Winnipeg Art Gallery

The Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction

The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada

Reading by Lightning by Joan Thomas, published by Goose Lane Editions

The Retreat by David Bergen, published by McClelland and Stewart Ltd

Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher

Bush Camp by Marvin Francis, published by Turnstone Press

Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste par Louise Duguay, publié par Les éditions du Blé

They Call Me Chief: Warriors on Ice by Don Marks, published by J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing

McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award -- Older Category

My Mother is a French Fry and Further Proof of my Fuzzed-Up Life by Colleen Sydor, published by Kids Can Press

Shadow-Town by Duncan Thornton, published by Annick Press

Withershins by Susan Rocan, published by Great Plains Publications

Spider's Song by Anita Daher, published by Penguin Group

McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award -- Younger Category

Andrea's Fiddle by Blaine Klippenstein, illustrated by Christie Jedele, published by Loon Books Publishing

Goose Girl by Joe McLellan and Matrine McLellan, illustrated by Rhian Brynjolson, published by Pemmican Publications

Granny's Giant Bannock by Brenda Isabel Wastasecoot, illustrated by Kimberly

McKay-Fleming, published by Pemmican Publications

Le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault

L'endroit et l'envers par Lise Gaboury-Diallo, publié par L'Harmattan

Pauline Boutal, Destin d'artiste par Louise Duguay, publié par Les éditions du Blé

Voyages au pays des maléfices de Tatiana Arcand, publié par Les éditions du Blé

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 20, 2009 D2