Current Award Winners
2007 Winners
CAA Awards for Adult Literature - CAA Carol Bolt Award
CAA-BookTelevision Emerging Writer Award - Allan Sangster Award
Introduction
The Canadian Authors Association (CAA), creator of the Governor-General's medals for literature, continues its long tradition of honouring Canadian writers of various genres whose works have achieved excellence without sacrificing popular appeal.
The winners are presented with their medals and cheques at a ceremony and reading during the CAA's National Conference each year.
Follow the links within each of the awards listings for past winners and more information about the individual awards. Check the Award Guidelines for additional information about award qualifications for these winners.
Poster Available
A 2007 awards poster (PDF - 52k) is available for distribution.
The CAA Awards for Adult Literature
1. The CAA MOSAID Technologies Inc. Award for Fiction
For a full-length novel.
The 2007 winner is Richard Wagamese for Dream Wheels (Doubleday Canada).
Bio
Richard Wagamese is an Ojibway from the Wabasseemoong First Nation in northwestern Ontario. After winning a National Newspaper Award for Column Writing, he published two novels in the 1990s: Keeper’n Me and A Quality of Light. His autobiographical book, For Joshua, was published in 2002. Wagamese has also lectured and worked extensively in both radio and television news and documentary. He lives outside Kamloops, British Columbia.
For more info: www.richardwagamese.com
Photo credit: Jane Dixon
Contact Information
For interviews or information about Richard Wagamese, contact Martha Leonard at Doubleday Canada:
- E-mail:
- Phone: (416) 957-1569
2. The CAA Poetry Award
For a volume of poetry by one poet.
The 2007 winner is Sarah Klassen for A Curious Beatitude (The Muses' Company/J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing).
Bio
Sarah Klassen reads, writes and sometimes teaches in Winnipeg where she was born. Her work has appeared in publications across Canada as well as in several collections of poetry, including A Curious Beatitude (The Muses' Company, 2006), Simone Weil: Songs of Hunger and Love (1999) and Dangerous Elements (1998), and one collection of short fiction, The Peony Season.
Several of Klassen's poems appear in Poetry as Liturgy: An Anthology by Canadian Poets edited by Margo Swiss and launched from St. Thomas Press in May, 2007. Also in May, she launched her second story collection, A Feast of Longing.
A Curious Beatitude was short-listed for the Lansdowne Poetry Award at the Manitoba book awards.
Sarah Klassen has taught English language and literature in the public school system and in Lithuania, and English as a Second Language in Ukraine.
Contact Information
For interviews or information about Sarah Klassen, contact Gordon Shillingford:
- E-mail:
- Phone: (204) 779-6967
Sarah Klassen may be contacted directly:
- E-mail:
3. The CAA Lela Common Award for Canadian History
"To recognize excellence in the writing of Canadian history." Biographical works are not eligible.
The 2007 winner is Mark Zuehlke for For Honour's Sake: The War of 1812 and the Brokering of an Uneasy Peace (Alfred A. Knopf Canada).
Bio
Mark Zuehlke is the author of many books about military history and the influence of the nation's war experiences on Canadian society including Juno Beach, Holding Juno and The Gothic Line, a much-lauded trilogy tracing Canada's role in the World War II Italian campaign; and The Canadian Military Atlas.
He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
For more info: www.zuehlke.ca
Contact Information
For interviews or information about Mark Zuehlke, contact Sheila Kay at Alfred A. Knopf Canada:
- E-mail:
- Phone: (416) 957-1570
The CAA Carol Bolt Drama Award
For the best English-language play for adults by an author who is a Canadian or landed immigrant.
This award is made possible through the generosity of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and Playwrights Canada Press.
The 2007 winner is Stephen Massicotte for The Oxford Roof Climber's Rebellion (Playwrights Canada Press).
Bio
Stephen's award winning plays A Farewell to Kings, Pervert (The Dirty/Beautiful), The Emperor of Atlantis and the popular Star Wars inspired Boy's Own Jedi Handbook series have played for audiences throughout Canada. In 2002 his play Mary's Wedding premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects' annual playRites Festival and was the winner of the 2000 Alberta Playwriting Competition, the 2002 Betty Mitchell Award for Best New Play and the 2003 Alberta Book Award for Drama. Mary's Wedding continues to be produced in English and French throughout Canada, the UK and the US. His film writing credits include the screenplays for the feature films Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning and The Dark.
Stephen has a BFA in Drama from the University of Calgary and a black lab named Agnes.
For more info: www.stephenmassicotte.com
Contact Information
For interviews or information about Stephen Massicotte, contact Annie Gibson, Associate Publisher, at Playwrights Canada Press:
- E-mail:
- Phone: (416) 703-0013
- Fax: (416) 408-3402
The CAA-BookTelevision Emerging Writer Award
For the Canadian (or landed immigrant) writer under 30 deemed to show most promise in the field of literary creation
This award is made possible through the generosity of BookTelevision, Canada's only television station dedicated to writing in all its forms.
The 2007 winner is Annette Lapointe author of Stolen (Anvil Press).
Bio
Annette Lapointe was born in Saskatoon on the coldest day of 1978 to hippy-type people who made their own granola and organic baby food. The family's pursuit of pastoral bliss led Annette to be schooled mostly in a small, scary town outside the city, for which her parents have since apologized. She did her BA at the University of Saskatchewan, and her MA at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the U of S. After achieving Masterhood, she taught ESL in South Korea and Women's Studies at the U of S. Recently, she wandered back to South Korea and thence to Winnipeg, to pursue doctoral studies in English. She currently divides her time between Saskatoon and Winnipeg, with the result that most of her time is actually spent on the road.
Annette's novel Stolen (Anvil Press, 2006) has received numerous accolades over the past year, including: a Giller Prize nomination, two Saskatchewan Book Award wins, and being named in the Top 5 First Fiction of 2006 by The Globe & Mail.
Contact Information
For interviews or information about Annette Lapointe, contact Karen Green, Marketing Coordinator, at Anvil Press:
- E-mail:
- Phone: (604) 876-8710
- Fax: (604) 879-2667
Annette Lapointe may be contacted directly:
- E-mail:
The Allan Sangster Award
The Allan Sangster Award honours one of the CAA's own members for extraordinary service to the Association.
The 2007 winner is Mickey Turnbull.
Showcased in many anthologies, this member's poetry, essay, short stories and newsletter columns have been published in North America and the Caribbean. An Ottawa native, this member served as Advocacy Chair for the Ottawa Branch, then moved on to the same position on the National Executive. Recognized by PEN Canada and the United Nations for important contributions, this member has had the privilege of representing CAA on the National level for issues of Freedom of Expression and wrongful imprisonment.
More About the CAA Awards Program
Awards Requiring Sponsorship
Information about awards that are currently available for funding is on our CAA Awards Funding page.
To Sponsor an Award
To sponsor a CAA literary award or to receive further information about the CAA Literary Awards Programs please contact the CAA National Office for details.
www.CanAuthors.org/awards/winners.html
Updated: October 2, 2007
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