SASKATCHEWAN BOOK AWARDS
Celebrating excellence in writing and publishing

 

Saskatchewan Book Awards

Home About Us History and Accomplishments

The Saskatchewan Book Awards celebrates, promotes and rewards Saskatchewan authors and publishers worthy of recognition through 14 awards, granted on an annual or semi-annual basis.

The Saskatchewan Book Awards is the only provincially-focused book award program and a principal ambassador for Saskatchewan’s literary community, which includes more than 300 writers and 75 book publishers. Its solid reputation for celebrating artistic excellence in style is recognized nationally.

 

Organization History and Development

In 1993, the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, Saskatchewan Publishers Group and Saskatchewan Library Association joined forces to establish a provincial writing and publishing awards program. In the first year, four awards were presented at a gala dinner, with Peter Gzowski as guest speaker. The organization was incorporated as the Saskatchewan Book Awards Inc. the following year, and it has consistently conducted an annual awards process since then.

The list of awards, jurying process and organizational structure were originally drawn up by a multi-sector committee that included representatives from all of the stakeholder groups.

Administration of the book awards was entrusted to a discrete, arm’s-length organization in order to guarantee the process’ integrity and freedom from conflict of interest.

The Saskatchewan Book Awards has continued its close relationship with its founding organizations, holding regular consultations and including their representatives on the Board of Directors. The board also includes professional members of the general community who have a particular interest in celebrating the province’s literary culture. It is currently governed by a volunteer board of 11 members elected annually, with a term of six years, and is managed by a part-time Executive Director.

Over its first decade, the Saskatchewan Book Awards grew to be a nationally-recognized program hosting numerous promotional events. The number of awards has grown from four to 14, including First Peoples’ Publishing and Writing Awards and the Prix du livre français. There are writing awards for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children’s and young adult literature, scholarly writing, and publishing awards. In 2009, 70 titles were submitted to the awards program, representing 181 entries, 39 publishers and 66 authors from Saskatchewan.

Events and promotions have increased significantly since 2005, owing to the support of the Saskatchewan Arts Board and Canada Council for the Arts. The Shortlist News Conference is held simultaneously in Regina and Saskatoon. The Shortlist Reading Tours have doubled in number, and advertising has increased. Our unique Literary Salon program promotes the award winners in new venues.

The awards and events are sponsored by private corporations, municipal, provincial and federal governments, and by the academic community. In turn, the Saskatchewan Book Awards provides its sponsors and donors with valuable media and public recognition throughout the year.

The audience has also grown. More than 1,000 people now attend Saskatchewan Book Awards events each year.

Events also create significant opportunities for book sales by local booksellers, with sales exceeding $12,000 each year.

 

Organization Accomplishments

  • Since its inaugural gala in 1993, the Saskatchewan Book Awards, the only provincial book award program, has established itself as a principal ambassador for Saskatchewan’s literary community. Its solid reputation for celebrating artistic excellence in style is recognized nationally.
  • The award categories are diverse, representative of Saskatchewan’s literary production, and responsive to emerging areas of interest. The awards categories recognize books in a wide range of genres, from poetry to scholarly works, and also encourage diversity through awards such as the Prix du livre français, which recognizes francophone writing, and First Peoples’ Writing and Publishing Awards.
  • The Saskatchewan Book Awards directly benefit authors and publishers by providing an incentive to strive for excellence. In 2009, 70 titles were submitted to the awards program, representing 181 entries, 39 publishers and 66 authors from Saskatchewan.
  • The cash awards often provide the financial means for the author to write another book, and provide publishers with the means to promote their books. In 2010, the cash value of awards offered to Saskatchewan authors is $2,000. Publishers will be eligible for cash awards of $2,000 in 2010.
  • These benefits to authors and publishers, in turn, benefit Saskatchewan’s literary community, by increasing the number and calibre of publications produced each year. Saskatchewan’s literary community currently includes more than 300 authors and 75 book publishers.
  • The Saskatchewan Book Awards promotes Saskatchewan’s authors and publishers at an annual awards gala, and throughout the year and throughout the province at Shortlist Readings, Salons and year-round displays of Saskatchewan books. The public events, and the awards process, generate interest, excitement, and pride for authors and publishers throughout the province, as well as providing authors with opportunities to meet their readers.
  • Saskatchewan Book Awards events now draw more than 1,000 people each year, and provide valuable media exposure for Saskatchewan authors, publishers, donors and sponsors, while increasing knowledge about Saskatchewan’s literary community.
  • Events also create significant opportunities for book sales by local booksellers, with sales exceeding $12,000 each year.
  • Exposure to Saskatchewan literature promotes and encourages an understanding of our own place in the history of the province, the country, and the world. Encouraging people to read and become engaged with the stories, the narratives, the histories, and the poems of a place fosters literacy and lifelong learning.
  • The awards program instills a sense of community among Saskatchewan’s authors, publishers, and the reading public.

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Support Recognition of Writing and Publishing Excellence in Saskatchewan - Donate Now!

The Saskatchewan Book Awards is a not-for-profit organization which recognizes, supports and promotes the Saskatchewan writing and publishing community. It provides its sponsors and donors with valuable media and public recognition throughout the year.

We welcome donations from individuals, corporations, and agencies.

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What We Do

We celebrate and recognize excellence in writing and publishing

We offer 14 annual awards to celebrate, promote and reward Saskatchewan authors and publishers worthy of recognition.

The Saskatchewan Book Awards is the only provincially-focused book award program and a principal ambassador for Saskatchewan’s literary community, which includes more than 300 writers and 75 book publishers. Its solid reputation for celebrating artistic excellence in style is recognized nationally.

Award winners are determined through a jury process of the highest integrity, by high-calibre jurors who are recognized as leaders with significant expertise in each award.

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