The finalists for the 2009 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards have been selected. Presented by the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Literary Arts Foundation NL, the awards this year honour excellence in non-fiction and poetry.

The finalists for the Rogers Cable Non-fiction Award, sponsored by Rogers Cable, are:

Telegram commentary editor Russell Wangersky for “Burning Down the House: Fighting Fires and Losing Myself” (Thomas Allen, 2008), an account of the author’s years as a volunteer firefighter.

Ray Guy for “Ray Guy: The Smallwood Years” (Boulder Publications, 2006), a collection of columns and articles written between 1963 and 1970.

Marie Wadden for “Where the Pavement Ends” (Douglas & McIntyre, 2008), an exploration of Canada’s Aboriginal recovery movement and the urgent need for reconciliation.

The finalists for the EJ Pratt Poetry Award, sponsored by Kathy LeGrow and the KA Pratt Group of Companies, are:

Randall Maggs for “Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems” (Brick Books, 2008), a collection of conversational poems that follow the tragic trajectory of the life and work of one of hockey’s best goalies.

George Murray for “The Rush to Here” (Nightwood Editions, 2007), poems that combine what the poet calls “thought rhymes” with a structured sonnet form.

Agnes Walsh for “Going Around with Bachelors” (Brick Books, 2007), poems that employ the tang of Newfoundland language to meld the plain with the sophisticated.
 
The public are invited to join in celebrating these authors at an evening of readings, refreshments and music by talented local folk group The Once on Thursday, April 30 at 8 p.m. at The Ship on Duckworth Street, St. John’s.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 6, at a presentation at Government House. The winner in each category receives a cash prize of $1,500, while other finalists receive $500. All finalists and winners are selected by an independent panel of judges.