Victoria, BC (October 16, 2008) – The winners of the Victoria Book Prizes were announced last evening at the Union Club of Victoria. Chris Tougas won the inaugural Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize. Mel Bolen presented Chris with a cheque for $5000 for Mechanimals, published by Orca Book Publishers. Mechanimals tells the story of an old farmer who loses all of his animals to a tornado.

John Gould emceed an evening full of fun and surprises. The winners and the short listed nominees, which included Polly Horvath (The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane, Groundwood Books) and Kit Pearson (A Perfect Gentle Knight, Penguin Books), were feted at a pre-gala reception and treated to a night at the Magnolia Hotel and Spa.

Jurors for the Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize were Megan Scott, owner of Ivy’s Bookshop; Victor Bosson, illustrator and digital painter and Abby Ranger, Assistant Editor, Scholastic Inc.

For more information, please contact:

Mary Virtue, President
Victoria Book Prize Society
info@victoriabutlerbookprize.ca

Tel: 250-386-5933