My Winnipeg shortlisted for the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award

Good news announced for Guy Maddin and his book, My Winnipeg, one of five titles shortlisted for the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award!

The Carol Shields Award is an annual prize sponsored by the Winnipeg Arts Council given to honour books written in English or French that evoke the special character of and contribute to the appreciation and understanding of the city of Winnipeg. The prize means $5000 to the winning author. Other shortlisted titles include nonfiction titles Armstrong's Point, Coming of Age: A History of the Jewish People of Manitoba, Grizzlyville and Prairie Metropolis.

Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg is a book based on Maddin's last film, a documentary (of sorts) by the same name (which was named by Roger Ebert as one of the Top Ten Films of the past decade!). The book takes the film as its starting point, then includes the many, many things Maddin could not fit into the film: marginal digressions, stills, outtakes, childhood photos, animations, diary entries, collages, archival images, and nascent treatments. There is a hand-drawn map of Maddin’s personal Winnipeg landmarks, and interviews with many principal cast and influences. There’s even an x-ray of Maddin's childhood dog, and (a fan favourite) an extremely nasty email from an ex-girlfriend.

Click here to learn more about the book, and here to learn more about the award. Congratulations to all nominated authors!