Награды Манитобы 2026: опубликованы списки номинантов на шесть литературных премий

The Manitoba Book Awards have unveiled the shortlists of titles that will be vying for honours next month. The awards, which are returning in 2026 after a two-year hiatus, will be presenting awards in six categories, honouring achievements in local storytelling, fiction, nonfiction, poetry and French language writing as well an award for a debut work. “It’s always exciting when jurors work to navigate through an incredible collection of literary works,” David A. Robertson, president of the Manitoba Book Awards, said in a statement. “It was heartening to see this expression of reading culture is alive and well in Manitoba. The juries had a tough time narrowing down the submissions into shortlists, but what we’ve come out with is a celebration of books and the talent we have in this province.” ‘A real labour of love’ The 2026 nominees were chosen by jurors from across Canada who in turn were appointed by a jury selection committee independent from the Manitoba Book Awards’ board of directors. Those same jurors will now select the winners in each category which will be awarded in September. “The Manitoba Book Awards have always been a real labour of love,” says board member Seyward Goodhand. “The arts community here is so active and so amazing.” While Goodhand notes that each of the books deserves the ultimate win, three books stood out for having received nominations in multiple categories: The World So Wide by Zilla Jones, Seeing You Home by Catherine Hunter, and Jinn in the Family by R.Y. Abdulrehman. “People were very moved by these titles, and they had extended conversations about them,” says Goodhand, adding that the books each had an element of flexibility to them when it came to their categorization. “They had elements about them that were personal and some of them were very complex as well.” RELATED STORIES - Manitoba Book Awards set to return in 2026 - Zilla Jones finding validation in Writer's Trust nod & debut novel - New memoir chronicles Vietnamese-Canadian's spiritual journey A bright future for Canadian literature While the awards are firmly rooted in Manitoba’s literary community, Goodhand notes that the awards are also a celebration of what can be achieved nationally. Previous winners – including Robertson and katherena vermette – have gone onto become some of the most recognized literary figures in the country, and all the books have been published by Canadian publishing houses. “It crystallizes some recognition around themselves,” says Goodhand about how the awards can elevate an author’s status from a provincial writer to a national one. “It does extend the awareness that people have of them beyond the region.” As the awards return after a two-year shutdown brought about by an independent study that said the awards were not viable in their former format, Goodhand hopes that they can continue their path of sustainable growth to uplift local talent. “What is very clear is that so many people care about books and about our reading culture,” she says. “They allow us to bring our literary talent into a broader conversation and to introduce these people to the nation at large, and they also help us to build our own reading culture here.” The Manitoba Book Awards will be hosted at the Park Theatre at noon on September 19. More details can be found at the awards’ website. Manitoba Book Awards 2026 shortlist Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book The Broken Detective by Joel Nedecky, published by Run Amok Books Wavelength by Cale Plett, published by Groundwood Books The World So Wide by Zilla Jones, published by Cormorant Books Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award / Prix littéraire Carol-Shields de la ville de Winnipeg Founding Folks: An Oral History of the Winnipeg Folk Festival by Kevin Nikkel, published by University of Manitoba Press Jinn in the Family by R. Y. Abdulrehman, published by Lead With Diversity Press Seeing You Home by Catherine Hunter, published by Signature Editions That'll Never Work Here: Challenging the Myths Around Biking in a Winter City; The City Project, Book 2 by Patty Wiens, published by Great Plains Press Le prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault Pauline Boutal, entre les toiles et les planches by Lise Gaboury-Diallo, published by Les Éditions du Blé Poésie franco-ouestienne, 1974-2024 by J.R. Léveillé, published by Les Éditions du Blé Sous les tilleuls by Bertrand Nayet, published by Les Éditions du Blé Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award For Non-Fiction / Prix Alexander-Kennedy-Isbister pour les études et essais Heal the Beasts: A Jaunt Through the Curious History of the Veterinary Arts by Philipp Schott, published by ECW Press The Dollar A Year Men: How the Best Business Brains in Canada Helped to Win the Second World War by Allan Levine, published by Barlow Books Seeking Spirit: A Vietnamese (Non)Buddhist Memoir by Linda Trinh, published by Guernica Editions Living Language Rights: Constitutional Pathways to Indigenous Language Education by Lorena Sekwan Fontaine, published by University of Manitoba Press Lansdowne Prize for Poetry / Prix Lansdowne de poésie Acutely Life by Sue Sorensen, published by At Bay Press Goose by Melanie Dennis Unrau, published by Assembly Press Il n’y aura pas de safety word par Dominique Hétu, publié par Hurlantes éditrices Scientific Marvel by Chimwemwe Undi, published by House of Anansi Press What Fills Your House Like Smoke by E. McGregor, published by Thistledown Press Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction Jinn in the Family by R. Y. Abdulrehman, published by Lead With Diversity Press Seeing You Home by Catherine Hunter, published by Signature Editions The World So Wide by Zilla Jones, published by Cormorant Books