Prize Watch: Shortlist for Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing

The Writers' Trust has announced the shortlist for its annual Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing.  A pretty strong list, I think. Winner to be announced May 7.

Rob Goodman, Toronto, Not Here: Why American Democracy Is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself  published by Simon & Schuster Canada

Benjamin Perrin, Vancouver, Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial published by Aevo UTP

Donald J. Savoie, Moncton, NB, Canada: Beyond Grudges, Grievances, and Disunity published by McGill-Queen’s University Press

Astra Taylor, New York, NY, The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart, published by House of Anansi Press

John Vaillant, Vancouver, Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast, published by Knopf Canada.

Perrin is the former legal advisor to the Harper government who had a change of heart and has become a vigorous critic of "lock-em'up" theories. Savoie is the political scientist with an enormous list of titles explaining how to improve Canadian governance, Vaillant has won prizes and attention worldwide for this book about the Fort McMurray firestorm and what it means for a rapidly heating world.  His is the only one I have read, and I can't imagine a better book right now, so he gets a cover shot.