Ten years of the NB Book Awards

Tosh Taylor - The voices of New Brunswick writers are the heart of WordCraft, a podcast aimed at creating community through words. WordCraft is a creation of the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick, a non-profit organization that helps New Brunswick writers to write, acquire skills, and showcase their talents to the world. The show is hosted and produced by Jenna Morton, with technical production by Tosh Taylor. The WFNB acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded territory of the Woolastook and Mi'kmaq peoples. And we honor the spirit of our ancestors' treaties of peace and friendship. We acknowledge the support of ArtsCulture, NB.

Jenna Morton - Welcome to WordCraft, a podcast by the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick. I'm your host, Jenna Morton. On this show, we speak with New Brunswick writers in various genres and stages of their work. We highlight programs presented by the Writers' Federation, and we explore topics relating more to the industry side of writing, topics that we hope resonate whether you consider yourself a hobbyist, an emerging writer, or a published professional. On this episode, we're taking a look back and a dream forward for the New Brunswick Book Awards. Now, you might be surprised to learn that we've only been handing out provincial book awards for the past decade, or maybe you're surprised to know that we hand them out at all. Either way, I'm sure you are going to take something interesting away from this conversation. We're going to dive in with a panel discussion. Gathered around the mic are the original members of the awards committee, Rayanne Brennan, Rosalyn Hyslop, Ian LeTourneau, and Ross Leckie. Welcome to WordCraft.

Rayanne Brennan - Thank you, Jenna.

Ross Leckie - Thank you!

Jenna Morton - I'm so excited to dive in and learn about the history of the awards because as someone who lives here, I know that we have them and I'm flabbergasted that they're only 10 years old. Rayanne, can you give us a little bit of a bit of a history lesson as to how the awards came to be?

Rayanne Brennan - This year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Book Awards. Prior to that, I had been president of the Writers Federation of New Brunswick, and during that period, we had established a committee to explore developing an awards program. That committee was led by Thomas Hodd, and they had dedicated a number of hours of their personal time researching what that program would look like. and discovered that New Brunswick was the only province in Canada that did not have a book awards program. And we just said, our board said, this just cannot be. So we were determined that...made the program happen. Well, happily, Ian and Ross came to us. and said that they would like to start a book awards and partner with us. And that was music to my ears.

Ian LeTourneau - Yeah. And I think it's appropriate for me to jump in at this point because I took over as president after Rayanne, for a brief spell. I didn't last the whole thing. And I knew, like, I saw the report that came in for the New Brunswick Book Awards, and I was like, this is great. We need this. Because the last thing I did in Alberta when I moved back in New Brunswick, I was involved with the Writers' Guild, and I went to their gala. And it was this stupendously huge gala with political luminaries. That's not an oxymoron. And I really was excited by this idea. But in the board discussions at that time, it was a capacity thing. They were looking for funding, and that was proving difficult with the province. And so it was always in the back of my mind. And then I think Ross and I were just chatting one day, and I think we decided to go down for coffee. We were talking about Fiddlehead-related stuff. And then the book awards came up, I think, and maybe Ross, correct me if I'm wrong, but we just started talking. And he was the one that said, well, maybe we just need to start it.

Ross Leckie - Yeah, pretty much like we were we talked about it and we had sort of, I guess you could say sort of an opposite approach to the Writers Federation in the sense that, you know, we thought, well, first of all, we weren't as organized. We didn't have a report or anything like that. And we didn't we didn't do that kind of research. I was just sort of thinking, well, let's just do it on a shoestring, you know? If it means that we have nothing to give to the authors except like a plaque or something? And if it means we need to get volunteers around the province or whatever to, you know, read, read the books, we'll just do it like with, you know, with as little money as we have or as much as we can find realistically. And so yeah, I think you and I just, we just kept kicking the idea around. How could we do it this way, that way? And then I, at some point I just said, let's pull the trigger. And so then we were doing them. And at the same time, the - you know, I think it was probably around that time, you, I guess, knew more than I did because I was probably just around that time when I first became you know, sort of fully aware that there was a plan and that the Writers' Federation had been, you know, considering this pretty thoroughly. I guess it comes from my, you know, sort of experience in the writing community over the years. I've just seen, you know, things come and go. You know, it's the nature of the world of arts that, you know, something works or it doesn't work. And I just said, 'well, if it works, great, if it doesn't work, somebody will pick it up 20 years from now and it'll work.'

Rayanne Brennan - And we're still operating on a shoestring budget and we're still volunteer-led. But yet, despite that, the program, I'm happy to say, is flourishing. And that sentiment was also expressed by, I remember, committee members like Gerry Byrne. He says, you know, It's important to do it, you know, where there's a will, there's a way. And so we were on the same page, pardon the pun.

Ian LeTourneau - And I know one of the first questions that came up early on was, would there be enough books published each year to have a contention? I remember when Ross and I were having that coffee down at Reed's Coffee Shop, RIP, we kind of went through our mental list of, okay, let's just, think back to last year. What was published last year? Would there be enough? Would there have been enough? And then we started thinking, oh, who's coming out with books this year? And we determined for the most part, yeah, there would be enough books, you know. And since then, I think there's only maybe one or two times that the award was pushed into two years because there wasn't enough books. And that was mostly the picture books, right? Yeah.

Ross Leckie - Well, I want to go back to the history for a minute because I think that, you know, what I think of as the magic meeting is when Rayanne and Rosalyn, you were kind enough to come to Fredericton and the four of us had lunch together. And that's the first time I felt, okay, there's a real enthusiasm for this. We have a group of four people and not just four people, but four people with different talents. Thank God Rosalyn was there because none of us knew about the business side, you know, hey, we got this business expert here… and Rayanne knew it all the, you know, publicity experience and radio experience and all of that. And so, it just seemed like there was, you know, a real wonderful mix… Like, I came away from that large feeling like this is going to happen and it's going to happen with Writers’ Federation and The Fiddlehead both involved, like two solid organizations that, you know, wouldn't drop the ball. And so, you know, historically speaking, that for me, that was like a key moment. That was that was that was the moment where I thought, okay, this is no longer just something Ian and I are kicking around in the office.

Rayanne Brennan - Yeah, you're absolutely right. And we continue to play to our strengths, and we all had our individual roles. It just all worked like you saw. We all gelled well and we all contributed our various experiences and expertise and made it work. Just on the history, our first awards gala was held here in Moncton. We partnered with the Frye Festival and the Atlantic Book Awards, and it was quite a glamorous affair. And we probably could have continued, but we really wanted to have our own awards program and shine a light on New Brunswick authors specifically and give them their night. And we also wanted to rotate between the three cities, so we've always done that. It's always been a really exciting evening and exciting in so many ways, including just like every year, you know, you think, oh, gosh, we're going to do this again. And then at the at the end of the night, you know, you see the smiling faces of the winners and the finalists, and you think, yeah, that yeah, that's worth it. And you get the positive comments, and you go, yeah, Yeah, we get to keep doing it another year, another year.

Rosalyn Hyslop - You know, just a shout out to Rhonda at the WFMB, you know, since WFNB has kind of taken it over, you know, Rayanne and I are helping Rhonda now. She's doing a lot of the work and she's just, she's taken what we've created and she's, you know, recreating it every year, you know, a little bit, a little bit better, you know, just, working away there. So she's been doing an awesome job. So really appreciate her efforts on this. So she's made it easier for Rayanne and I.

Jenna Morton - I was going to ask what it felt like for the four of you to see that milestone reached this year of the 10th anniversary of the awards. That's a that's a big step to get to. It takes a lot to do something consistently and to have it continue that long. What…what did it feel like to see that milestone happen this year?

Rayanne Brennan - That was a pretty special moment to stand up on stage and look at the crowd. There was a huge crowd. It was at the in the ballroom. And I had to pinch myself a couple of times. And of course, I kept thinking back to where we started, how we started and how we got here. And, you know, recognizing that again, I'll use this expression, a labor of love.

Ian LeTourneau - I did want to bring up the fact that it was New Brunswick publishers that are also being celebrated in terms of just the authors. And before the 10th anniversary, I kind of took a deep dive into the numbers. And 34 of the award-winning books were published by New Brunswick-based publishers. It's like almost 30%. And seven of those 10 were put out by Goose Lane. So New Brunswick publishers, I think, have a lot to be thankful and proud of in terms of this effort to celebrating the authors, because we're also celebrating the publishers.

Ross Leckie - You mentioned the publishers, Ian. I don't remember, like it's we were at a certain point and all of a sudden it occurred to us that you know what, New Brunswick authors publish with all the publishers across Canada. So I went and made this exhaustive list, and we were like trying to figure out who the publicists were for, you know, everybody from M&S to, you know, these small West Coast publishers. But then we realized, yeah, the strength is right down the middle. I'd say, you know, it's right here in New Brunswick. The publishers are here, the writers are here typically. But we've had entries from publishers, you know, a couple of times it's from publishers I've never heard of, rural Saskatchewan or somewhere.

Ian LeTourneau - Yeah, and you know, that first e-mail we sent out to all those public system publishers, The response we got back, there was a couple of bounce back emails because publicists change, jobs all the time. But the overwhelming response was, oh, this is fantastic. Congratulations, New Brunswick. Great. You know, like it was very positive. And I took a lot of joy and warm feelings from that.

Rayanne Brennan - And the books too themselves, many of them have gone on to national, even international success. And so it's definitely been a springboard, this program, by winning this award. It's given them the recognition…and even could say the confidence to broaden the horizons and, and continue writing, and continue submitting to other competitions, et cetera. And again, that's one of the reasons that we do this, because we want New Brunswick authors to tell their stories.

Rosalyn Hyslop - I think too, for one of the things that, you know, I think wonderful that has come out of this is, you know, we were very purposeful about once authors won the next year, we would invite them back to present that award to the next person. And that ended up being a very special thing too. And, you know, just the - I don't know, people just were so excited and heartfelt to be kind of passing the torch to the next person. And so, it really kind of turned out to be a special thing. And I think too, like for the 10-year-anniversary, like just to be able to give out the Legacy Award. You know, as we said, you know, we weren't giving out awards 10 years previous. So, to be able to start to recognize some of those people in the community that have gone above and beyond to highlight other region writers or just by bringing recognition to New Brunswick by their own, by their own writing, such as David Adams Richards, who was our first recipient. So, I think that was kind of a special thing too, to be there in that group and to be able to give out the start of that award. And we're excited to see, you know, who's gonna be next.

Rayanne Brennan - Yeah, that's a wonderful new addition to our program and still on David Adam Richards, I just... When I think about highlights from the past 10 years, we've also had the generous support of independent booksellers like Tidewater Books, come and sell, come and sell the books. They've been very generous too in donating to our program.

Jenna Morton - I'm wondering, you know, talking about the Legacy Award that was started in 25 and looking ahead to perhaps the next 10 years, What dream do you each have for these awards and for the writers who are nominated and continue to win them? What do you hope continues to be the legacy of the New Brunswick Book Awards?

Ross Leckie - I think for me, you know, being someone who is kind of like, okay, we don't have money, let's just do it anyway and see what happens. It's just been an absolute you know, just great, great feeling to watch how it wasn't like somebody like McCain's or Irving swooped in and said, ‘Here's a pile of money.’ Instead, it was all these little bits and pieces, publishers, writers coming together. And my hope for the future is that that spirit continues, that the booksellers and authors and all the little bits and pieces of the importance of these awards, stay involved and feel a part of it and see it grow. Because I think it is going to grow now. I have no worries or no hesitations. I think it's so well established and - and doing so well that, you know, I think it's going to be - I think it's going to be great in the future. And in my case, a new generation of these younger writers that I'm talking to right now, that we're talking to right now, not to mention people even younger than we are, you know, who will be carrying it into the future. You know, I've met many of these young writers, you know, through UNB and teaching experiences and - and other, you know, these guys probably have been, you know, mentoring young writers from…through a variety of ways. And I just have a really positive and very optimistic view of how the awards will develop and how there will always be people that you least expect who will just step forward and say, ‘Hey, this is great. I want to do it and I want to be a part of it.’

Rosalyn Hyslop - You know, I think that we have a lot of voices in New Brunswick that are writing and getting published or trying to get published and that have important things to say. And we need to do whatever we can to help them get their voices out there, and kind of have a responsibility to do that, you know, and, you know, we're New Brunswick is a small province in the world and, you know, and it's a… it's a big world now. And so, They, writers and authors, they need all the help they can get. And so I just feel like as a New Brunswicker, we have a responsibility to help them get their voice out there. And I guess I would also say too, you know, just to mention the importance of other writing or industry, I guess, organizations like the Writers’ Federation, like The Fiddlehead, like the publishers, you know, getting involved at that level, the booksellers, you know, the festivals, Foglit Festival and Wordfest and Frye Festival, and, you know, all the organizations like that, the book awards, the New Brunswick Book Awards was created out of the Writers’ Federation and The Fiddlehead and the people that were involved in those organizations. So I would just say that, you know, there's an importance to get involved in and support those organizations as well, because these things come out of those things.

Ross Leckie - So now we have a new publisher in New Brunswick. Gaspereau was moved to Sackville.

Ian Letourneau - That's right. Starting on January 1st, 2026, they were going to be a New Brunswicker. Awesome. I was going to say my, my dream is a larger cash prize. I'm going to be completely just, greedy for a moment, I guess. Because I think, I'm a writer and mostly we get paid in compliments and emails out of the blue about how much people love our book. And those are really worth it - totally anyway. But I'd like to see writers just receive more of a cash prize. But I must say that starting two years ago when the little statuettes were introduced, that almost seems more enticing from an author's standpoint than cash. Just to have that little memento you could put on your mantle or your desk. I think that was one of the greatest things that the committee did. Yeah.

Rayanne Brennan - People want, I want to get a fiddlehead. It's not the prize. I want to get a fiddlehead because those statues.

Ian LeTourneau - Blown glass, I think, right, to the shape of a fiddlehead. Because we're an audio version and people can't see the stage.

Rayanne Brennan - We could always use more funding. And if you're listening and you're thinking, oh, this is a great program and you want to give, say, in memory of someone or just out of the goodness of your heart, I'll give you my phone number and call me if you happily accept. Because, you know, Rosalyn mentioned Rhonda, the executive director of the Writers’ Federation. She's just one woman and then she relies on volunteers after that. And I'd like to see her get more support to run the program. And I'd also like to see more funding for judges. We're only able due to current capacity to have one judge per award. That would be my dream. And then of course, just to be sustainable for the future to continue to build on what we've what we've started. It does seem like every year it gets better. And I sincerely hope that continues. But again, we need, we need money. I really hope that it continues to be a springboard for success. I hope to see that we grow our writing community here in New Brunswick. And I hope that it continues to have that intimate feel.

Jenna Morton - That's wonderful. I think that is the perfect place to wrap up this stage of the conversation. And I know there are going to be many more conversations over the years about these awards because in 10 years is just the first of many, many milestones, I'm sure. So I want to thank you all for taking the time to share a little bit about the history of the New Brunswick Book Awards and as well to thank you for the time and effort and love you've put into creating this and creating something very special for the writing community.

Rosalyn Hyslop - Yeah, we appreciate you helping us shine the light on the program. So it's awesome.

Jenna Morton - You've been listening to a conversation with the original members of the New Brunswick Book Awards Committee, Rayanne Brennan, Roslyn Hislop, Ian Letourneau, and Ross Leckie. I'm your host, Jenna Morton. The New Brunswick Book Awards have their very own Facebook page you can follow along with. Find them just by searching that name, New Brunswick Book Awards. That's where you'll hear and read all those fantastic snippets of the people who are shortlisted for the awards for the coming year. You can go back and read some of the previous ones and fill up your bookcase with fantastic works. You can also find more information about the criteria, deadlines, and all those kinds of details about the book awards on our website, the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick. You're going to go to wfnb.ca slash NBBA for the New Brunswick Book Awards. Thank you so much for listening. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, to go back and listen to our previous episodes, and to stay tuned for more wonderful words about New Brunswick writing.

Tosh Taylor - WordCraft is a project by the Nonprofit Writers Federation of New Brunswick. The show is hosted and produced by Jenna Morton, with technical production by Tosh Taylor. We acknowledge the support of the Canadian Council for the Arts. The Writers' Federation of New Brunswick acknowledges that the land on which we live, work, and gather is the traditional unceded territory of the Woolastook and Mi'kmaq peoples. We honor the spirit of our ancestors' treaties of peace and friendship.