FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: St. John’s, NL (October 26, 2012) – The Heritage and History Book Awards alternate between works of fiction and children’s/young adult books in one year, and poetry and non-fiction in the following year. They are presented by the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador for works that exemplify excellence in the interpretation of the history and heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. The shortlist is selected from among those books submitted to The Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards. The Heritage and History Book Awards are sponsored by the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The 2012 Heritage and History Book Awards Children’s/Young Adult shortlist are listed alphabetically by author below:

Children’s/Young Adult:

Dawn Baker, A Newfoundland Christmas (Flanker Press, 2011)
Andy Jones, Jack and the Manger (Running the Goat Books & Broadsides, 2011)
Janet McNaughton, The Dragon Seer’s Gift (HarperCollins Canada, 2011)

The winners of the 2012 Heritage and History Book Awards will be announced at an event starting 7pm on November 25th, at the historic Newman Wine Vaults, 436 Water Street, in St. John’s. Shortlisted authors will be reading from their work. Everyone is invited. Admission is free.

About the shortlisted authors:
Gander resident Dawn Baker has been a full-time visual artist and writer since 1992. She has written and/or illustrated four children’s publications.

A professional writer and actor of the stage and screen for over forty years, Andy Jones is a member of The New World Theatre Project in Cupids, appearing in a number of roles. Venturing out in yet another artistic medium, he has recently been collaborating on picture book adaptations of the Newfoundland Jack tales.

Dragon Seer’s Gift is Janet McNaughton’s tenth book for young readers. She is about to begin a new book in Scholastic’s Dear Canada series about the Great Fire of 1892.

For the first time in its nine-year history, the Heritage and History Book Awards will be given to two authors, one in each category, who will each receive a $250 cash prize, representing a doubling of the total prize money awarded.

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Media contact:
Mark White, Interim Executive Assistant
Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland & Labrador
223 Duckworth Street, Suite 202
Haymarket Square
St. John’s, NL A1C 6N1
Tel: 709-739-5215
Toll free: 1 (866) 739-5215
wanlassist@nf.aibn.com