The Atlantic Book Awards Society is looking for nominations for the 2017 Pioneer Award. This award is designed to honour trail blazers and ground-breakers who have made a lasting contribution to the development of the literary arts in Atlantic Canada. The recipient can be from the field of publishing, writing, book-selling, literary arts organizations etc. In keeping with our tradition, since our 2017 Book Awards Gala is being held in Halifax on May 18, the 2017 Pioneer Award recipient will be someone from Nova Scotia, as that is the host province for the Gala this year.
If you would like to nominate someone, please send a brief biographical summary of the person, focusing on their career in literary arts, and reasons why you feel they would be a worthy recipient of this year’s Pioneer Award. Also include full contact information for your nominee. Please send submissions to mackenh@halifax.ca by April 7, 2017.
Submissions will be judged by a committee independent of the Atlantic Book Awards Society Board.
The Pioneer Award guidelines:
What is the nature of this award and guidelines?
The Atlantic Book Awards Pioneer Award is a lifetime achievement award in recognition of an individual’s exceptional contribution to the literary arts in Atlantic Canada. The Awards will honour people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, and who have, through extraordinary innovation, risk-taking, self-sacrifice, and/or creativity, provided opportunity or inspiration (or both) for those sharing Atlantic Canadian stories through writing and publishing.
People from all occupations, trades, and walks of life may be nominated: the most important consideration is that the person has made an extraordinary contribution to the advancement and encouragement of Atlantic books and writers. Particular consideration will be given to those who could be termed early path-breakers or trailblazers, whose pioneering work warrants being placed on the public record through the granting of this Award; with this in mind, posthumous nominations will be accepted.
The aim is to offer the Award annually (when merited) to a recipient from the province where the Book Awards are being hosted (i.e. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador).