NB Book Awards event on May 31 is live and open to the public!

The tenth annual NB Book Awards ceremony announcing the winners will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fredericton on May 31, from 6 to 9 pm, as part of WFNB’s annual writing festival, WordSpring. This free, public event will be hosted by Vanessa Vander Valk, host of CBC radio’s Shift, the evening will include nibbles and a cash bar, with reception entertainment provided by singer/songwriter Catherine Kennedy. The guest speaker for the evening will be Ali Hassan, comedian and host of CBC’s Canada Reads and CBC’s Laugh out Loud.

About Catherine Kennedy: Award-winning singer-songwriter Catherine Kennedy invites you to join her on the long way home. Any story worth telling deserves the time it takes to travel along the nostalgic route, and Catherine’s soulful lyrics and bluesy tones will transport you directly there.

In 2018, Catherine released her solo EP Fifty-Fifty Chance and toured her music throughout the East Coast at festivals such as Area 506, Folly Fest, Paddlefest, and Shivering Songs. 2022 saw the release of her self-titled debut album for which she, along with her band, won Breakthrough Artist of the Year from the Music New Brunswick Awards, and earned two further nominations for Recording of the Year and Song of the Year.

One music-lover praised how “the beautiful quality and range of Catherine’s voice pairs perfectly with her gift of storytelling. Catherine's music makes you feel part of something bigger. Her songs always seem as though they're written for you.”

So come roam along the winding road of your story and join Catherine on the long way home.

About Ali Hassan: 

Ali Hassan is a stand-up comic, actor and host. Hassan is the host of the CBC Radio hit stand-up comedy show LAUGH OUT LOUD, which also airs across North America on SiriusXM. He is also a frequent guest-host of THE NEXT CHAPTER, AS IT HAPPENS, and the arts and culture show Q. For the past eight consecutive years, he has hosted CANADA READS, the annual battle of the books celebrating the best of Canadian literature. As a comedian, Hassan has performed for audiences across Canada and internationally. Among his numerous film & TV credits, he has appeared on WORKIN' MOMS, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. He can currently be seen in his supporting roles on SORT OF (CBC Gem, HBOMax) and RUN THE BURBS (CBC Gem, HULU). His book, Is There Bacon in Heaven?, was published in 2022 by Simon & Schuster.

The NB Book Award program is administered by the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick (WFNB), which for 40 years has passionately supported the development of home-grown writers at all stages of development. Book Table provided by Westminster Bookmark.

For more information visit: www.StandupAli.com