CELEBRATING FOUR RISING LITERARY TALENTS

TORONTO | June 17, 2020 | Ontario Creates is pleased to announce that Shut Up You're Pretty by Téa Mutonji has won the 2020 Trillium Book Award, and Crevaison en corbillard by Paul Ruban has won the Prix Trillium. The author of each winning book is awarded $20,000. Unmeaningable by Roxanna Bennett has won the Trillium Book Award for Poetry and Premier quart by Véronique Sylvain has won the Prix de poésie Trillium, each receiving $10,000.

The Trillium Book Award is Ontario’s top literary prize, and is open to titles in any genre. The Trillium Book Award for Poetry honours a first, second, or third collection by an Ontario poet.

This year’s winners in both English and French showcase the talent of emerging writers who are soon to be household names across the country. These short story and poetry collections span the province – from the vibrant city of Scarborough to the far reaches of Northern Ontario.

The 2020 Trillium Book Award winners and their publishers were announced during a virtual awards event and on Ontario Creates social media channels at 8 PM EDT on June 17, 2020, as follows:

• WINNER | Trillium Book Award (English)
  Téa Mutonji,Shut Up You're Pretty, VS. Books/Arsenal Pulp Press

• WINNER | Trillium Book Award (French)
  Paul Ruban, Crevaison en corbillard, Flammarion Québec

• WINNER | Trillium Book Award for Poetry (English)
  Roxanna Bennett,Unmeaningable, Gordon Hill Press

• WINNER | Trillium Book Award for Poetry (French)
  Véronique Sylvain,Premier quart , Prise de parole

Join us for Facebook LIVE conversations with English Trillium Book Award winners from 12:00 – 12:30 PM EDT on June 22, with Quill & Quire Reviews Editor Steven W. Beattie and at the same time on June 23 for the French winners’ conversation with Zefred.

QUOTES

“The Trillium Book Awards celebrate Ontario’s best writers and their publishers who make enormous contributions to our literary wealth and to our province’s economy. On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I applaud and congratulate all the Trillium Book Award winners for these well-deserved accolades. During this unprecedented time, it is even more important that we ensure Ontario’s great stories are enjoyed at home and around the world.”

• Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries

“This year the Trillium Book Award recognizes wonderful new voices in fiction and poetry in our province. Together these authors’ works contribute a shared collective experience through their unique stories. These emerging literary talents will join an impressive list of great Ontario writers and their publishers who continue to build upon Ontario’s internationally recognized literary legacy.”

• Aaron Campbell, Chair, Ontario Creates

“The Trillium Book award celebrates excellence in Ontario writing and this year’s Trillium winners cover a diversity of topics, and are written by authors that self-identify in many diverse ways. Kick-off your summer reading with some of these brilliant Ontario reads!”

• Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO, Ontario Creates

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is home to two-thirds of Canada’s Book Publishing Industry
• The Trillium Book Award/Prix Trillium encourages excellence in literature by investing in Ontario-based writers. Award recipients receive $20,000 and their respective publishers receive $2,500 to promote the winning titles.
• The award winners for the Trillium Book Award for Poetry in English and in the French-language category each receive $10,000 and their publishers $2,000 for promotion of the titles.
• The Trillium Book Award/Prix Trillium Backgrounder includes information on this year’s jury members and the winning publishers.
• The 14 finalists on the 2020 Trillium Book Awards shortlist showcase a variety of talent across a wide range of literary genres.
• Previous winners have included world-renowned writers Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Austin Clarke, Thomas King, Michael Ondaatje, Marguerite Andersen, Andrée Lacelle and François Paré.

LEARN MORE

Ontario Creates is proud to produce the Trillium Book Awards each year. The Ontario government established the Trillium Book Award in 1987 to recognize excellence, support marketing and foster increased public awareness of the quality and diversity of Ontario writers and their works.

Ontario Creates is an agency of the Government of Ontario that facilitates economic development, investment and collaboration in Ontario’s creative industries including the music, book, magazine, film, television and interactive digital media sectors. ontariocreates.ca