Shortlist for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award Announced

DG is one of the judges (along with Claire Rothman and J. Jill Robinson) for the $10,000 Danuta Gleed Literary Award. He read dozens of story collections over the last few months (fresh crates of books seemed to arrive every week). He mulled them over and conducted lengthy negotiations with his co-judges (gracious and intelligent writers, both of them). Then he managed to keep his mouth shut about the shortlist until its official announcement today. The winner will be trumpeted abroad May 28.

The shortlist is:

• Darcie Friesen Hossack, Mennonites Don`t Dance (Thistledown Press)
• R.W. Gray, Crisp (NeWest Press)
• Billie Livingston, Greedy Little Eyes (Vintage Canada)
• Alexander MacLeod, Light Lifting (Biblioasis)
• Teri Vlassopoulos, Bats or Swallows (Invisible Publishing)

Here is a lovely CBC photo display with the judges’ comments on each author.

dg