Saskatchewan Book Awards announced

Aboriginal authors have received multiple nominations in this year’s Saskatchewan Book Awards. Dawn Dumont (Rose’s Run), Ernie Louttit (Indian Ernie: Perspectives on Policing and Leadership) and Robert Alexander Innes (Elder Brother and the Law of the People: Contemporary Kinship and Cowesses First Nation) are vying for the Aboriginal Peoples’ Writing Award.

As well, Dumont and Louttit are included in the University of Regina Book of the Year and City of Saskatoon and Public Library Saskatoon Book Award. Dumont is also nominated for City of Regina Fiction Award.

Louttit is nominated for the First Book Award. Innes is also nominated for Luther College and University of Regina Arts Award for Scholarly Writing. Nominated in the First Nations University of Canada Aboriginal Peoples’ Publishing Award are Gabriel Dumont Institute for Leah Marie Dumont’s My First Metis Lobstick; MacKenzie Art Gallery for Michelle LaVallee’s 7: Professional Native Indian Artists Inc.; and Purich Publishing for Louttit’s Indian Ernie.

The list of nominees was chosen from 196 entries, with 90 titles, in 11 writing and three publishing categories. The 14 award categories offered this year are diverse, representative of Saskatchewan’s literary production, and responsive to emerging areas of interest.

Award winners are determined through a selective jury process. Award winners will be announced on April 25.