British Columbia’s National Award for Canadian N

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of the BC Achievement Foundation is pleased to announce the jurors for British Columbia’s National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction: Jan Walter, Rick Antonson and Eliza Reid. The 2018 jury members will determine the best works of Canadian non-fiction for the 14th awarding of the prestigious prize.

The award longlist will be revealed on November 1, 2017, with the shortlist being announced December 1, 2017. The shortlisted authors will be celebrated and the winner announced at a presentation ceremony in Vancouver in early 2018.

Scott McIntyre, Chair of the BC Achievement Foundation noted: "Once again we look to the experience and wisdom of our esteemed jury to help celebrate the inspired writing of 2018 nominees. Another treasure trove for readers and writers alike."

About the Jury:

Jan Walter

Returning juror and 2018 Jury Chair, Jan Walter has spent her life around books: selling, acquiring, editing, publishing, promoting. She began as a bookseller at Mel Hurtig’s store in Edmonton, and later joined Hurtig Publishers as editor-in-chief. She then moved to Toronto where she held executive positions with several Canadian publishing companies, including Macmillan and McClelland & Stewart. In 1988, together with writer/editors Gary Ross and John Macfarlane, she launched Macfarlane, Walter & Ross, which became one of Canada’s premier publishers of quality non-fiction, publishing over 60 award-winning and bestselling titles. Walter has made her home in Kingston, Ontario since 2004 and is a former Chair of the Kingston WritersFest Board.

Rick Antonson

Rick Antonson is the author of six books, including  To Timbuktu for a Haircut  and  Route 66 Still Kicks . He entwines travel, history, and memoir when writing about extraordinary places and the people who call them home. An inveterate traveller, visiting places as varied as Iraq, Iran and North Korea, Antonson’s forthcoming book is based in Papua New Guinea. He was President and CEO of Tourism Vancouver for over two decades, and is also a former book publisher. Capilano University awarded Antonson an Honorary Doctorate of Laws and the tourism industry conferred recognitions in Canada, Europe, the US, and Asia. Antonson is currently co-scriptwriting a musical play, and delivers his “Cathedral Thinking” address around the world; he and his wife, Janice, live in Vancouver and Frankfurt.

Eliza Reid

Eliza Reid, the First Lady of Iceland, is co-founder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat, an annual event that combines small-group writing workshops with cultural tours to introduce visitors to Iceland’s unique literary heritage. She was the editor of Icelandair’s in-flight magazine from 2012-2016 and was a staff writer at Iceland Review from 2005-2008. In Canada, where she was born and raised, Reid has been published in The Globe and Mail, The Walrus, and The Ottawa Citizen. Until she became First Lady, Reid was a regular commentator on Icelandic current affairs for foreign media, and made appearances on BBC Radio Scotland, CBS Radio, CBC Television and Radio, France 24, and RTE (Ireland).

The BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is awarded annually to the author whose book stimulates our national conversation and shares knowledge about the complex world in which we live. The award is presented by the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, an independent foundation established and endowed by the Province of BC in 2003 to celebrate excellence and achievement in the arts, humanities, enterprise and community service.

The award consists of $40,000 for the winning author and $5,000 for each of the remaining finalists. All of the shortlisted titles receive extensive national publicity and marketing support. Background information and a list of past winners is available at http://www.bcachievement.com/nonfiction .

Contact: Cathryn Wilson Executive Director, BC Achievement Foundation 604-261-9777