2008 PEI Book Awards

The 2008 PEI Book Awards have been presented to Georges Arsenault (left) by Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, and to Ann Sherman (accepting for her late husband Joseph Sherman) and Richard Lemm.

Hon. Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour announced winners of the PEI Book Awards at an awards ceremony in Charlottetown in September.

Richard Lemm was awarded the 2008 PEI Book Award for fiction for his book Shape of Things to Come published by Acorn Press. The non-fiction prize went to Georges Arsenault for La Mi-Carême en Acadie, published by La Grande Marée, and Ann Sherman accepted the poetry prize on behalf of her late husband Joseph Sherman for his book Beautiful Veins, also published by Acorn Press.

Minister Bertram congratulated the authors and commented on the importance of the publishing industry to the province’s literary culture.

“Although the Book Award competition was open to publishers across Canada, the vast majority of the submissions and finalists were from Island publishers,” she said. “Without access to publishers our Island poets, authors, designers and story tellers cannot share their experiences—experiences which benefit all of us.”

The Minister took a moment during the celebration to recognize the contributions of Island authors Joseph Sherman and Frank Ledwell who died this past year. “Both of these creative Islanders were advocates, leaders and mentors for those working in the literary arts and publishing on PEI They both worked for years in their chosen field and their contribution will long be felt.”

The 2008 PEI Book Award jury, made up of Deirdre Kessler, Hugh MacDonald and Lori Cheverie, reviewed entries, narrowed the list to the above named finalists, and selected the winning entries.