Winners

The Vine National Canadian Jewish Book Awards are given each year to celebrate the best in Canadian Jewish literature. A $10,000 prize is given to each winner in the categories of Fiction, History, Non-Fiction, and Young Adult/Children’s Literature.

A professional independent jury of three individuals working in the arts and media oversee the Vine Awards' selection process, picking both the shortlist and winners. This year’s jury comprised of: Cynthia Good, Josh Knelman, and Tim Wynne Jones. The jury read nearly 60 books this year.

2024 WINNER: FICTION

Do You Remember Being Born? by Sean Michaels

“An extraordinary intellectual and emotional reading experience. Do You Remember Being Born? is both of its time and timeless, as it explores a remarkable collaboration. 75-year-old poet Marian Ffarmer and an AI program named Charlotte, are ‘matched’ to write an original poem. One of the best things about this novel, filled as it is with unexpected shots of brilliance, is that it is about poetry – poetry as metaphor and as itself, in all its expressiveness and wonder. Through flashbacks and as she evolves, a compelling portrait of Marian Ffarmer is revealed. And if Marian is a brilliant, believable and vivid character, so is Charlotte. She can surprise the reader and no less surprise Marian, as a creative and trusting relationship between the two is forged. A novel of extraordinary courage and ingenuity Do You Remember Being Born? is also a stunning exploration of creativity and what it is, or maybe, that makes us human.” – Vine Awards Jury

Published by Random House Canada

2024 WINNER: HISTORY

Cracking the Nazi Code: The Untold Story of Canada's Greatest Spy by Jason Bell

“A masterfully crafted WWII non-fiction narrative forged from ground-breaking international research. Jason Bell unearths a trove of secret documents and has spun them into a WWII spy thriller that contributes startling and original perspectives on the rise of the Nazis. This is a uniquely Canadian-born story— tracing the transatlantic journey of Wynthrop Bell from Halifax to Berlin and chronicling his transformation from academic to secret agent. In doing so, the author reveals how the world was first alerted to Hitler’s Final Solution; the intriguing and important story serves as a powerful reminder that in the right place at the right time individuals with moral determination can change the course of history.” – Vine Awards Jury

Published by HarperCollins Publishers

2024 WINNER: NON-FICTION

Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

“A quirky coincidence of mistaken identity provides the starting point for what becomes an essential exploration of our increasingly polarized world. Naomi Klein takes an absurd happenstance—being erroneously identified as author Naomi Wolf— and converts it into a riveting existential investigation of contemporary identity, posing poignant questions related to increasingly divisive politics, shifting allegiances, and the real-world consequences of digital avatars. Cleverly peeling away at the layers of narrative that bind our society together, Klein steps into the role of Alice, taking us on an enthralling journey through the looking glass of the internet’s conspiracy-theory-laden rabbit holes. This is an entertaining, thoughtprovoking and insightful tale of our time, and a sure-fire conversation starter at any dinner party.” – Vine Awards Jury

Published by Knopf Canada

2024 WINNER: YOUNG ADULT/CHILDREN'S LIT

A Bucket of Stars by Suri Rosen

“Noah Cooper speaks “Constellation” but he’s not all that sure of his place in the universe. He, his brother, and a father who’s become distant and unreachable have moved to small town Ontario. Apart from excellent star gazing, things are not going well for Noah in this new home. Enter junior filmmaker Tara Dhillon. Stir in a potential environmental disaster and you have a mystery to solve, and two quirky kids on the case. In sprightly prose, smart and delightful, Suri Rosen writes a story about recovering family and taking on the powers that be to save a community.” – Vine Awards Jury

Published by Scholastic Canada

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