White Space by Kevin Chong

Kevin Chong has made the 2020 CBC Nonfiction Prize longlistfor White Space.

The winner will receive $6,000 from theCanada Council for the Arts, attend a two-week writing residency at theBanff Centre for Arts and Creativityand will have their work published byCBC Books.

Four finalists will receive $1,000 fromCanada Council for the Artsand willhave their work published byCBC Books.

The shortlist will be announced on Sept. 24. The winner will be announced on Oct. 1.

• Calling all writers! The CBC Short Story Prize is now open

About Kevin

Kevin Chong is the author of six books, most recently The Plague, a retelling of Albert Camus' novel of the same name. Based in Vancouver, he teaches creative writing at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

• Why Kevin Chong's books really begin when he knows how they will end

Entry in five-ish words

"Whiteness, on pages, in cities."

The story's source of inspiration

"I was reading about the 'White Lunch,'a chain of restaurants that used its whites-only staff as a selling point. From there I stumbled on the 1931 murder of a white woman working at a Chinese cafe in a master's thesis by Roseanne Sia."

First lines

About the 2020 CBC Nonfiction Prize

The winner of the 2020 CBC Nonfiction Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The 2021CBC Short Story Prizeis currently open for submissions. The 2021CBC Nonfiction Prizewill open in January. The 2021CBC Poetry Prizewill open in April.