2024 Victoria Book Prizes Gala

2024 Victoria Book Prizes Gala

We are thrilled to invite you to this annual celebration of writers, readers, and book lovers in the capital region. Join CBC Radio’s Kathyrn Marlow for an entertaining evening featuring readings from shortlisted authors and the awarding of the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize and the City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize.

This isn’t your traditional gala. Everyone is welcome to be a part of this relaxed and vibrant community as we celebrate our region’s incredible talent. Enjoy some delicious food, have a drink at the cash bar, and purchase your own copies of the shortlisted works from Russell Books, our on-site bookseller.

To ensure our event is accessible to everyone, we are proud to offer a limited number of pay-what-you-can tickets for this year's gala. To access the pay-what-you-can tickets, please email us at [email protected].

The $5000 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize is awarded to a local author for the best book published in the preceding year in the categories of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. The 2024 finalists are:

Ali Blythe for Stedfast (Poetry), Goose Lane Editions

Tim Lilburn for Numinous Seditions: Interiority and Climate Change (Non-fiction), University of Alberta Press

Kathryn Mockler for Anecdotes, (Fiction), Book*Hug Press

Arleen Paré for Absence of Wings (Poetry), Caitlin Press

shō yamagushiku for shima (Poetry), Penguin Random House
The $5,000 City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize is awarded to an author or illustrator for the best book for youth. The 2024 finalists are:

Raina Delisle for Breaking News: Why Media Matters, Orca Book Publishers

Leslie Gentile for Shamus the Urban Rez Dog, P.I., Cormorant Books

Polly Horvath for Pine Island Visitors, Penguin Books

Julie Lawson for Out of the Dark, Nimbus Books

Crystal Smith for Maybe a Whale (for illustration), Groundwood Books
Thank you to our generous sponsors: City of Victoria, Butler Concrete & Aggregate, Munro’s Books, Friesens Corporation, Russell Books, Greater Victoria Public Library, CBC Radio, Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites, and The Union Club of British Columbia.

The Victoria Book Prize Society acknowledges that we live and work on the traditional territories of many First Nations, including but not limited to BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat), P’a:chi:da?aht (Pacheedaht), Pune’laxutth’ (Penelekut), Sc’ianew, Songhees, SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout), T’Sou-ke, W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), W̱SIKEM (Tseycum), and xʷsepsəm (Esquimalt). As an organization dedicated to celebrating story, we honour the first storytellers of these lands and commit to an ongoing process of listening and learning.

Host or Publisher Victoria Book Prize Society