THE 2019 VINE AWARD WINNERS
The Vine Awards honour both the best Canadian Jewish writers and Canadian authors who deal with Jewish subjects in five categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, History and Children’s/Young Adult, each with a prize of $10,000.
“We are thrilled to present the 2019 Vine Awards to five exceptional authors who embrace literary excellence and embody the best of contemporary Jewish Canadian literature,” said Koffler Executive Director, Karen Tisch. “We are deeply grateful to our lead donors, Lillian and Norman Glowinsky, for providing vital support and recognition to these writers, who are making an indelible mark on the Canadian literary landscape.”
The Awards were handed out at a luncheon ceremony on October 23, 2019 at the Windsor Arms Hotel, Toronto. Read the 2019 Vine Award Winners Press Release here.
The 2019 Jury – poet Ayesha Chatterjee, children’s author Melanie J. Fishbane, and author Eric Beck Rubin – reviewed 84 entries.
This year’s winning titles embody “the diversity of Canadian Jewish writing, characterized by the universal themes of home, family, and finding a place to belong,” said juror Melanie J. Fishbane. “These authors dive deep into generational trauma, challenge popular historical narratives, and ask the difficult questions about not only what it means to be Jewish, but to be human.”
“There were books whose style, authority and reach were outstanding,” added juror Eric Beck Rubin. “In all cases the jury’s consensus was based on a book’s impact and effects on a reader, no matter how they were achieved.”