Not a big year for historians in the Governor-General's Awards for non-fiction, but some historically oriented books here. The nominees announced this morning are
- CBC journalist Nahlah Ayed for her memoir "A Thousand Farewells: A Reporter’s Journey from Refugee Camp to the Arab Spring,"
- Carol Bishop-Gwyn for The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca. (Actually CBG is a historian -- teaches history of dance at Ryerson. The Gwyn in her name is from her husband, the writer and John A. biographer Richard Gwyn
- much-admired explorer, anthropologist ans writer Wade Davis, Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest
- Ross King, a GG winner for a previous study of impressionists and classicists in belle-epoch Paris, Leonardo and the Last Supper
- author and broadcaster Noah Richler, What We Talk About When We Talk About War
And, if I can have some special pleading, I note that the shortlist for the Children's Literature award has reverted to the all-fiction norm. Last year, ahem, a nonfiction book actually won.
