Here's a bit of good Canadian literary news for once: The ten winners of the 2017 Atlantic Book Awards were announced last night in a gala ceremony held in Paul O’Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library. Hosted by CBC Radio’s Angela Antle, the gala concludes this year’s Atlantic Book Festival, which ran from May 11-19 in all four Atlantic Provinces.

The winners are:

1. Alistair MacLeod Prize for Short Fiction

Willem De Kooning’s Paintbrush by Kerry Lee Powell, published by HarperCollins Canada

2. Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children’s Literature

Into the Wasteland, by Lesley Choyce, published by Red Deer Press

3. Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association’s Best Atlantic-Published Book Award

Goose Lane Editions for Lucy Jarvis: Even Stones Have Life by Roslyn Rosenfeld.

4. Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing

Brand Command: Canadian Politics and Democracy in the Age of Message Control by Alex Marland, published by University of British Columbia Press

5. The Robbie Robertson Dartmouth Book Award (Non-Fiction),

Viola Desmond’s Canada: A History of Black and Racial Segregation in the Promised Land by Graham Reynolds with Wanda Robson, published by Fernwood Publishing

6. Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing

Sable Island in Black and White, by Jill Martin Bouteillier, published by Nimbus Publishing

7. Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award (Fiction)

Advocate, by Darren Greer, published by Cormorant Books

8. Lillian Shepherd Award for Excellence in Illustration

Suzanne Del Rizzo for Sky Pig, written by Jan L. Coates, published by Pajama Press

9. Margaret and John Savage First Book Award

Notes from a Feminist Killjoy: Essays on Everyday Life by Erin Wunker, published by Bookthug

10. Atlantic Book Awards’ Pioneer Award

Errol Sharpe, owner and founder of Fernwood Publishing. Sharpe worked with Rocky Jones before his death to make sure his story would be shared, and is now working with Mi’kmaw Elder Doug Knockwood to bring his life to the printed page.