B.C. authors dominate Writers' Trust Awards

British Columbian writers stole the spotlight in Toronto Tuesday night at the annualWriters' Trust Awards gala.

Annabel Lyon, whose debut novel The Golden Mean has been widely recognized with a host of book-award nominations this season, nabbed the $25,000 fiction prize.

The New Westminster, B.C. writer began working on The Golden Mean, a fictional recreation of the life of Aristotle and his one-time pupil Alexander the Great, about eight years ago.

"In this alarmingly confident and transporting debut novel, Lyon offers us that rarest of treats:A book about philosophy, about the power of ideas, that chortles and sings like an earthy romance," the three member jury wrote of the book.

The $25,000 non-fiction honour went to Salt Spring Island writer Brian Brett for his book Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life.

Jurors hailedthe B.C. writer'sbook as "a lively, well-researched blend of memoir and socio-political commentary."

The remaining finalists for the fiction and non-fiction prizes received $2,500 each.

Up-and-coming author Yasuko Thanh of Victoria made it a B.C. hat trick by snagging the $10,000 Journey Prize for her story Floating like the Dead.

The prize is awarded for a short story ornovel-in-progress by an emerging writer. The Vancouver Review, which published Thanh's story, receives $2,000.

Bergen, Jocelyn's oeuvre celebrated

Organizers presented Winnipeg author David Bergen with its $25,000 notable author award, praising him as "one of [Canada's] best modern writers," while author-illustratorMarthe Jocelyn who divides her time between Stratford, Ont. and New York received the $20,000 children's literature award.

The Writers' Trust also recognized the committee that organizes the annual Politics and the Pen fundraiser with itsaward for distinguished contribution.

"This always sold-out Ottawa gala organized by a volunteer committee attracts cabinet ministers, senior politicians and prominent writers, and has raised an astonishing $1.25 million for the Writers' Trust since 1997," the group said in its citation.

The Writers' Trust of Canada is a non-profit organization that raises money to support authors across the country.