Reva racks up more book prize nominations
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Maria Reva’s debut novel Endling has landed on the long list for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award, a prize that comes with a 100,000-pound (about C$161,000) payout.
The novel follows a snail scientist in Ukraine who teams up with a pair of sisters to break up the mail-order bride industry in the country before Russia’s invasion throws them all for a loop.
Alongside the Ukraine-born, Vancouver-raised Reva on the 20-book long list, announced on Feb. 17, is Montreal’s Éric Chacour, whose much-lauded debut novel What I Know About You (translated by Pablo Strauss) also made the cut.
Other authors in contention include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Dream Count, Sally Rooney for Intermezzo, Rachel Kushner for Creation Lake and Ocean Vuong for The Emperor of Gladness.
The short list will be announced on April 7, and the winner revealed on May 21. For the complete list of finalists see wfp.to/icx.
Reva has also made the 12-book long list for the 2026 Climate Fiction Prize, an award given to a work of literary fiction published in the U.K. that grapples with environmental themes. Vancouver’s Madeleine Thien also made the list for her novel The Book of Records.
Others in contention include Tim Winton (Juice), Susanna Kwan (Awake in the Floating City), Robbie Arnott (Dusk) and Anna Hope (Albion). The short list will be announced March 18, and the winner of the 10,000-pound prize (around $18,500) revealed May 27. All the finalists can be found at wfp.to/icI.
Endling won the 2025 Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, was longlisted for the Booker Prize and was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction.
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In non-fiction book prize news, New Brunswick-born BBC correspondent Lyse Doucet is among the 16 writers in contention for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.
Doucet’s book The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan details the goings-on throughout the years at the Inter-Continental Kabul, which opened in the late 1960s and still operates today.
The short list will be revealed March 25 and the winner of the 30,000-pound prize (around C$55,000) announced June 11 — for all the details see wfp.to/icz.
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Saulteaux author Diana Traverse launches a pair of children’s books at McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Both Nay-Na-Bush and the Snow Dogs and Nay-Na-Bush and the Red Willow, published by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre, follow the mischievous antics of Nay-Na Bush, who roams the shores of Lake St. Martin. Both books are illustrated by Kaiya Ducharme.
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Ottawa’s Emily Austin visits McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location on Friday at 7 p.m. in support of her newest novel Is This a Cry for Help?, published in January.
The novel follows a librarian who, after a mental-health breakdown, comes back to work and finds herself pitted against book-banning types.
Austin will be joined at the launch by McNally Robinson general manager Angela Torgerson.
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Raven’s End Books (1859 Portage Ave.) welcomes GMB Chomichuk, Jonathan Ball and Lyndon Radchenka tonight at 6 p.m., when the trio will host a horror writing workshop at the bookstore.
The authors will talk about the tropes of the horror genre and where they’ve gone wrong in their work in the past, then work with attendees on a gothic vampire story. Those in attendance of the free event will receive a complimentary copy of Chomichuk’s working draft of The Coffin Story.
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A new monthly book swap kicks off Monday at 6 p.m. at the Handsome Daughter (61 Sherbrook St.) — but those looking to pick up a new title won’t know exactly what they’re getting.
The free “Blind Date With a Book” event encourages guests to bring a wrapped book (with a few hints written on the wrapping) and swap it for another wrapped book to take away. The event will take place on the last Monday of every month.
winnipegfreepress.com/bensigurdson
Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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