Sharon Bala, author of “The Boat People,” has won the 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award in the fiction category, according to a release from the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL).
The annual awards are held by WANL to “recognize excellence in writing by authors residing in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
This year, along with Bala, the shortlist for the Fiction Award included Terry Doyle for the novel, “Dig,” and Melissa Barbeau for the novel, “The Luminous Sea.”
Congratulations to the 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards winners!
— Writers' Alliance (@WANL) September 30, 2020
Sharon Bala won the Fiction Award, sponsored by Killick Capital, w/ Charis Cotter winning The Bruneau Family Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature.
Each will receive a cash prize of $1500. Exciting! pic.twitter.com/3DRkyfw2aW
The jury said Bala’s novel is, “a work of highly relevant historical fiction exploring discourses surrounding terrorism, the nature of power and the meaning of belonging in Canadian society.” They also said the narrative is masterful and compassionately crafted.
Bala will receive $1,500 as part of the award, while Doyle and Barbeau will each receive $500.
