Five books are in contention to become the First Nation Communities Read community reading selection for 2015-2016. Five jury members from First Nation public libraries in Ontario made the shortlist selections. The title selection announcement for 2015-2016 will take place in Toronto on June 24 as part of National Aboriginal Day Celebrations. The selected title’s creator will be the recipient of the $5,000 Periodical Marketers of Canada Aboriginal Literature Award.
Shortlist Titles
- Up Ghost River by Edmund Metatawabin and Alexandra Shimo. Penguin Random House.
- Dreaming in Indian edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Leatherdale. Annick Press.
- Rose’s Run by Dawn Dumont. Thistledown Press.
- Peace Pipe Dreams by Darrell Dennis. Douglas & McIntyre.
- All the Way: My Life on Ice by Jordin Tootoo. Penguin Random House.
First Nation Communities Read initially considered more than 19 submissions before settling on a long list of 17 titles from nine publishers.
Periodical Marketers of Canada Aboriginal Literature Award
The Periodical Marketers of Canada’s Aboriginal Literature Award is an award inspired by the goals of the First Nation Communities Read program. It will provide the creators of the First Nation Communities Read 2015-2016 title selection with a $5,000 prize. This is the second year the Periodical Marketers of Canada will present the Aboriginal Literature Award.
First Nation Communities Read is the Ontario First Nation Public Library Community’s contribution to the popular reading movement. Launched in 2003 by the First Nations Public Library Community in Ontario with support from Southern Ontario Library Service, it promotes a community-based approach to reading, FNCR:
- encourages family literacy, intergenerational storytelling, and intergenerational information sharing;
- increases awareness of the relevance and importance of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit writing, illustration, and publishing;
- promotes the publication, sharing, and understanding of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit voices and experiences;
- increases awareness and sales of the titles it honours.
The focus of the First Nation Communities Read program alternates annually between books for children and books for adults and young adults. The 2015-2016 First Nation Communities Read submissions call was for Young Adult/Adult books. The 2014-2015 selection was Wild Berries and Pakwa Che Menisu written and illustrated by Julie Flett and published by Simply Read Books (Vancouver).
Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) is mandated to deliver programs and services on behalf of the Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport by:
- increasing cooperation and coordination among public library boards and other information providers in order to promote the provision of library service to the public;
- assisting public library boards by providing them with services and programs that reflect their needs, including consultation, training and development.
For more information about First Nation Communities Read and Southern Ontario Library Service, contact:
Nancy Cooper, Acting First Nations Consultant
Telephone: 416-961-1669, Ext. 5194
Southern Ontario Library Service
E-mail: ncooper[at]sols.org
Periodical Marketers of Canada is the national association of magazine and book wholesalers serving 35,000 retail newsstands. Periodical Marketers of Canada was established under federal charter in 1942 for the purpose of furthering the wholesale periodical distribution industry and contributing to the encouragement of reading in Canada. Current members of the association are: Monahan Agency, Vernon, BC; Metro News, Toronto, ON; TNG, Burlington, ON.
PMC’s ongoing activities include funding of a nonprofit charitable foundation, the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters, which makes contributions to individuals and agencies engaged in the encouragement of literacy and reading in Canada.
For more information about Periodical Marketers of Canada, contact:
Periodical Marketers of Canada
Telephone: 1-613-583-7546
Suite 1007, 175 Bloor St. E.
Fax: 416-968-6281
South Tower
barry[at]franciscommunications.com
Toronto, ON M4W 3R8
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for this project.
