2022 Glengarry Book Award Recipient
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
‘August Into Winter’ by Guy Vanderhaeghe awarded 2022 Glengarry Book Award
Three-time Governor General award-winning author to receive Saskatchewan’s largest literary prize of $20,000
Regina – January 9, 2023 – Launched by the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (SFFA) in June of 2021, the Glengarry Book Award was created to support and foster Saskatchewan’s literary culture. The annual $20,000 (CAD) prize celebrates authors with Saskatchewan roots. In its second year, the SFFA is proud to celebrate one of Canada’s most recognized literary figures, Guy Vanderhaeghe.
The Glengarry Book Award is an annual award for the first edition of an English language novel or book of short fiction and the vision of donor and book lover Claire Kramer, a founding trustee of the SFFA.
“I am delighted to honour Guy Vanderhaeghe with this award,” says Kramer. “The response to our call for submissions was tremendous, including the caliber and variety of entries. Whether they started their career here or were raised here, the authors are connected to this land and our province. We are proud of the momentum in our second year and look forward to continuing to support the creativity of Saskatchewan writers who share stories to readers far beyond our borders.”
Vanderhaeghe says, “I am enormously pleased and deeply honoured to have received the Glengarry Book Award for my novel, August Into Winter. This is a distinction that means a great deal to me since it is given to writers whose roots are in Saskatchewan, the province where I was born, raised, educated, and whose people, landscape, and history have provided the inspiration for my work. I am profoundly grateful to Claire Kramer for her generosity in establishing and funding the Glengarry Book Award and to the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts for their work in assisting the province’s artists.”
Born in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Vanderhaeghe’s previously acclaimed work includes A Good Man, The Last Crossing, The Englishman’s Boy, Things as They Are, Homesick, My Present Age, Man Descending, and Daddy Lenin and Other Writers. He has received the Writer’s Trust Timothy Findley Award, the Harbourfront Literary Prize, and many additional honours, including the Order of Canada.
Already a national bestseller, August Into Winter tells an epic story of crime and retribution, of war and its long shadow, and the redemptive possibilities of love. Impressing the jury with its compelling language and narrative sweep, August into Winterwas commended as disciplined and innovative work by a writer at the height of his powers—an intimate, intricately-fashioned but authentic view of life on the prairies, and a splendid accomplishment in Canadian literature.
Shortlisted novels were Lee Gowan’s The Beautiful Place, praised by the jury for its original and compelling writing, engaging characters, breadth of literary imagination, as well as its subtle humour; and Anne Lazurko’s What Is Written on the Tongue for its solid writing, diligent research, and ambitious transitions through the historical periods of the main character’s lived experience.
Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund, chaired the jury. Creighton says, “It’s been an honor to work with Claire Kramer and the Foundation to establish this award and to chair the jury. The impact of this award is significant for our province’s writers.”
Managed and administered by the SFFA, The Glengarry Book Award selects its jury from a pool of Canadian authors and Canadian literary publishers and organizations. The 2022 jury included award-winning author Marina Endicott, Freehand Books Submissions Co-ordinator Debbie Willis, and published writer, Senator Patricia Bovey.
“The Glengarry Book Award follows a long history of Saskatchewan arts patrons supporting and celebrating the arts. This year was a proud moment for the Foundation, as the funds provided to previous Endowment Fund award recipient Anne Lazurko (2017) supported her in writing this year’s shortlisted novel What Is Written on the Tongue. We are honored to be a part of recognizing the literary artists who have made their mark on Saskatchewan,” says Gursh Barnard, Chair of the Board of Trustees.
About the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts
The Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (SFFA) is a public Foundation dedicated solely to creating a legacy of financial support for the arts and artists in Saskatchewan, through the generous financial support of individuals, organizations, and corporations.
https://saskartsfoundation.com/
Gursh Barnard: Chair, Board of Trustees
Tel: 306-737-8980
E-mail: info@saskartsfoundation.com