9th Biennial KOBZAR Book Award Virtual Ceremony

The 9^th Biennial KOBZAR Book Award will be presented during a virtual ceremony to be broadcast on April 28, 2022, from the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

This year’s jury, Kerry Clare (49th Shelf), Laisha Rosnau (Author and winner of the KOBZAR™ Book Award 2020), and Ben Sigurdson (Winnipeg Free Press), were very excited to include on the shortlist a novel, a graphic novel, and a book of poetry – three styles of literature as diverse as the Ukrainian Canadian experiences which the KOBZAR™ Book Award strives to recognize.

Shortlisted finalists include Enemy Alien: A True Story of Life Behind Barbed Wire by Kassandra Luciuk, illustrated by nicole marie burton (Brick Books 2020); Good Citizens Need Not Fear by Maria Reva (Knopf 2020); Fields of Light and Stone by Angeline Schellenberg (University of Alberta Press 2020).

The $25,000 KOBZAR Book Award recognizes outstanding contributions to Canadian literary arts by authors who write about the experiences of Ukrainian Canadians. KOBZAR Book Award entries can weave through fascinating moments in world history, acquaint us with the lives of both one and the many, introduce us to the challenges of different generations and waves of immigration. Ultimately, they paint a picture of a people that proudly continues to shape the Canada we know today.

Distinctive to this Award is monetary recognition for both the winner and the winner’s publisher.

The program will be hosted by Terry MacLeod, award-winning, Emmy-nominated independent journalist with more than thirty years of experience working across Canada and around the world with the CBC.

The ceremony will include presentations by the authors, former KOBZAR Book Award winners Danny Schur, Maurice Mierau, Dr. Lindy Ledohowski, and Luba Goy, and film directors Ryan Boyko and Troy Ruptash.

There is no cost to view the event. Simply register to receive an exclusive link for online access: https://bit.ly/3r0As99.