City announces finalists for 2025 Ottawa Book Awards

Fourteen local authors have been named finalists for the 2025 Ottawa Book Awards. (File)

The city has named 14 local authors as finalists for the 2025 Ottawa Book Awards.

“This year’s compelling and diverse literary works will explore the human condition and how it is shaped by life’s events – from familial ties and historical narratives to exploring one’s identity and societal changes,” the City of Ottawa said in a media release.

The short-list of 14 finalists spans three categories, including English Fiction, English Non-fiction, and the French-language Prix du livre d’Ottawa.

The official winners will be revealed on Saturday, November 15 at an event hosted by the Ottawa Public Library at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe.

Winners will receive $7,500, while finalists will each receive $1,000.

Last year’s awards went to “Vixen” by Sandra Ridley (Fiction), “Agent of Change: My Life Fighting Terrorists, Spies and Institutional Racism” by Huda Mukbil (Non-fiction) and “Deux heures avant la fin de l’été” by Sébastien Pierroz (Priz du livre).

Here is a list of nominees, with brief synopses provided by the City of Ottawa’s website.

English Fiction

• “Heliotropia” by Manahil Bandukwala
• “This Bright Dust” by Nina Berkhout
• “The Voyageur” by Paul Carlucci
• “On Beauty” by rob mclennan
• “The Last to the Party” by Chuqiao Yang

English Non-fiction

• “Out of Darkness: Rumana Monzur’s journey through betrayal, tyranny and abuse” by Denise Chong
• “The Good Allies: How Canada and the United States Fought Together to Defeat Fascism during the Second World War” by Tim Cook
• “Motherlike” by Katherine Leyton
• “All In Her Head: How Gender Bias Harms Women’s Mental Health” by Misty Pratt
• “Under Development: A journey without maps” by Ian Smillie

Prix du livre d’Ottawa

• “La lumière de minuit” by Margaret Michèle Cook
• “Charlotte au pays des mots” by Emmanuelle Erny
• “Histoires de racines” by Monia Mazigh
• “Un lourd prix à payer” by Claire Ménard-Roussy
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