The BMO Winterset award is the province’s richest literary award, at $12,500 for the winner, and $3000 for the runners up, and it’s the hardest to win, because it includes all genres.

This year’s finalists are:

  • Stan Dragland, for: Strangers & Others (non-fiction; Pedlar Press)
  • Sara Tilley, for: Duke (Fiction; Pedlar Press), St. John’s, NL
  • Leslie Vryenhoek, for: Ledger of the Open Hand (Fiction; Breakwater Books)

Of note is the fact the small but mighty Pedlar Press has two books on there, and all publishers are local.The winner will be announced at Government House on Thursday, March 24. This year’s jury consisted of Chris Brookes, Megan Coles, and Randy Street.

Finalists will read from their works and answer questions from the audience at a public reading and reception: 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at The Rooms (in the Theatre).

For The Overcast’s articles/reviews on these books, click these links: Strangers & Others, Duke, and Ledger of the Open Hand.