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Yet another honour for The Manager, by Caroline Stellings

Posted by Mike Hunter on November 10, 2014

The Manager, by Caroline Stellings, a novel for young adults from CBU Press (2013), continues to draw nominations for prestigious literary awards.

The book has been shortlisted for the Hamilton Arts Council Literary Awards, to be presented January 5 in Hamilton, Ontario.

The Manager, was also recently shortlisted for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC). It was earlier selected for inclusion in the CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens publication.

This is Caroline Stellings’s fourth project with CBU Press, including the best-selling Malagwatch Mice and the Church that Sailed. Stellings is also an accomplished artist and illustrator. She lives in the Hamilton area, in the small community of Waterdown, Ontario.

The Hamilton Literary Awards are an annual event with the goal of recognizing and celebrating the city’s published authors. The Awards are presented to books of outstanding merit and quality in three categories including fiction, poetry and non-fiction by authors residing in Hamilton and the surrounding areas.

Since its founding, the Hamilton Arts Council has worked to strengthen the role of the culture in Hamilton by making the arts accessible and relevant to the entire community. They advocate, mediate and communicate for the role of the arts in Hamilton’s social and economic development.

The Manager, by Caroline Stellings, a novel for young adults from CBU Press (2013), continues to draw nominations for prestigious… Continue»

“Secrets of a Cape Breton writer’s success”: article

Posted by Mike Hunter on October 28, 2014

Nice article about Cape Breton’s Frank Macdonald in the Cape Breton Post, recently. In it, Macdonald talks about his writing discipline – well, lack thereof. Whatever works for you Frank! Link here to the full article.

Nice article about Cape Breton’s Frank Macdonald in the Cape Breton Post, recently. In it, Macdonald talks about his writing discipline… Continue»

Mi’kmaw poet to read at Toronto festival

Posted by Mike Hunter on

Poet Lindsay Marshall, of Potlotek First Nation, is one of the Aboriginal writers invited to INSPIRE, the Toronto International Book Fair, November 13-16.

The author of Clay Post and Bones, Poems, republished by CBU Press earlier this year, Marshall is scheduled to take part in two events on Saturday, November 15. At 12 p.m., he will be part of a literary circle of Aboriginal writers, and at 4 p.m. he will have a solo reading.

This is the first such book fair for Toronto in a number of years, and includes a First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literary Circle, spotlighting the diversity and creativity of indigenous writers, storytellers and performers from across the country.

Intended to promote sharing, collaboration and dialogue among Indigenous literary experiences, literary circle presentations will include readings, book signings, sharing circles and roundtable discussions on issues such as culture, tradition and language.

Earlier this year, Lindsay Marshall was invited to the Ullapool International Book Festival, Scotland, where he spoke to packed houses.

Poet Lindsay Marshall, of Potlotek First Nation, is one of the Aboriginal writers invited to INSPIRE, the Toronto International Book… Continue»

Guardian review promises “endless pleasure”

Posted by Mike Hunter on October 17, 2014

Watch for a nice review of two recent CBU Press books in the weekend Charlottetown Guardian (October 18).

Of William D. Roach, Folk Artist, Elizabeth Cran writes: “the succession of beautiful images speak louder than most of the words.”

“Not that every one of Mr. Roach’s carriage is beautiful in an ordinary sense … [yet some] are so closely observed and recreated in wood that they’re beautiful in a conventional sense.”

You may “love this book or dismiss it [but] your children or grandchildren will love it anyway.”

Of Celtic Threads: A Journey in Cape Breton Crafts, by Eveline MacLeod and Daniel W. MacInnes, Ms. Cran writes: “A book which will give endless pleasure to many.” ’Nuff said.

Watch for a nice review of two recent CBU Press books in the weekend Charlottetown Guardian (October 18). Of William… Continue»

Next week on The Good Sentence

Posted by Mike Hunter on

We’ll be listening to The Coast 89.7 Sunday evening (6 p.m., Oct. 19, 2014) for an interview with Truro writer Leo MacKay Jr. with Paul MacDougall, a regular feature of The Coast’s Dialogue program.

The interview discusses Leo’s works, including Twenty-Six, Like This and Roll up the Rim. Leo is one of the featured authors at Governor’s Book Pub, in Sydney, Tuesday, October 21, at 7:00.

On the same program, Paul also chats with Sherry Ramsay, local area writer about her new book and the National Novel Writing Month challenge which happens worldwide every November.

Paul MacDougall is the author of Distinction Earned: Cape Breton’s Boxing Legends 1946-1970. Paul is also a playwright and very active in Cape Breton’s literary scene.

Dialogue can be heard Sundays at 6 p.m. and is re-broadcast Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m. You can listen on-line at: http://www.coastalradio.ca/about/listen-live/

We’ll be listening to The Coast 89.7 Sunday evening (6 p.m., Oct. 19, 2014) for an interview with Truro writer… Continue»

CBU Press books adopted for Ontario reading program

Posted by Mike Hunter on October 15, 2014

Two CBU Press books have been nominated for Canada’s largest recreational reading program, the Ontario Library Association’s (OLA) Forest of Reading awards.

The October 15 announcement of nominees for the Silver Birch Award for fiction, revealed that the novel Me and Mr. Bell, by Philip Roy, was among ten shortlisted books. In the non-fiction category, The Extraordinary Life of Anna Swan, by Anne Renaud, is on the list. Both books were published by CBU Press in 2013.

Speaking today from Inverness, Scotland, where he is on a book tour, CBU Press Editor-in-Chief Mike Hunter was enthusiastic about the news.

“Forest of Reading is a big deal in Canadian publishing for young people,” he said, “on several fronts.”

“First and foremost for us is, of course, recognition for the high level of creativity and excellence by these authors,” he said. “Second is the fact that thousands of youngsters in Ontario will be exposed to Atlantic Canadian stories. Finally, it means sales in much greater numbers than we usually see.”

The news falls hard on the heels of two other major nominations for CBU Press books for young people.

Me and Mr. Bell and The Manager, by Caroline Stellings, are both on the shortlist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People.

The award is part of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre to be handed out at a gala event in Toronto on November 6.

“Two out of five books shortlisted for the Bilson award are Cape Breton stories,” notes Hunter. “That’s not bad.”

Me and Mr. Bell is also on the Maritime Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award list and was shortlisted for the 2014 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award

The Forest of Reading consists of eight reading programs designed to cultivate a love of reading for people of all ages. More than 250,000 readers participate annually from their local school or public library.

In October, the programs are launched when the lists of nominated titles are announced by the OLA. Most schools and libraries start to run the program in December/January.

The winning books will be announced at the Festival of Trees in May 2015.

The Silver Birch program, which includes the two Cape Breton books – now in its 21st year – is meant for readers aged 8 to 12, while the non-fiction focuses on Grade 5 and 6 readers. The Silver Birch Express category focuses on the lower grade levels and reluctant readers. The Forest of Reading is Canada’s largest recreational reading program. This initiative of the Ontario Library Association (OLA) encourages a love of reading in people of all ages

Two CBU Press books have been nominated for Canada’s largest recreational reading program, the Ontario Library Association’s (OLA) Forest of… Continue»

“all that makes a community”: review

Posted by Mike Hunter on

While filing away some recent reviews this week, we came across a couple that cry out to be shared again.

A September 13, 2014, Halifax Chronicle Herald review of Vince MacLean’s These Were My People: Washabuck, An Anecdotal History said:

The book “feels like a door opening to a warm kitchen with a friendly host and storyteller.”

“The beauty of this book is the ‘anecdotal’ history. I love the many stories…. MacLean “covers all that makes a community….”

While filing away some recent reviews this week, we came across a couple that cry out to be shared again…. Continue»

Tinker and Blue a “very funny novel”: review

Posted by Mike Hunter on

While filing away some recent reviews this week, we came across a couple that cry out to be shared again.

When Frank Macdonald’s new novel Tinker & Blue was launched, Halifax Chronicle Herald arts reporter Elissa Barnard wrote: Tinker & Blue is “full of irony and wit, well-plotted and fast-paced….” A “very funny novel.” Macdonald “has a gift for capturing Cape Breton voices and idiosyncrasies.”

While filing away some recent reviews this week, we came across a couple that cry out to be shared again…. Continue»

Railroad historian Herb MacDonald dies after a brief illness

Posted by Mike Hunter on October 14, 2014

We were saddened to learn of the death of author and railroad historian Herb MacDonald on Saturday, October 11, 2014, after a brief illness.

Herb was a meticulous researcher with a great love of railroads and delved into their history in great detail. He published numerous papers and gave many talks on a wide variety of subjects in the field. His book, Cape Breton Railways: An Illustrated History (CBU Press, 2012), was shortlisted for the Evelyn Richardson Non-fiction award (2013) and recently awarded book-of-the-year by the Canadian Railroad Historical Association (2014).

The award recognizes and honours an individual whose endeavours in the previous year have contributed significantly to the recording and/or preservation of artifacts of historical value related to Canada’s railways. A number of his research papers were likewise recognized.

Herb retired from the Nova Scotia civil service a number of years ago and spent his time researching and travelling with his wife Linda MacDonald. Our condolences to the MacDonald family.

We were saddened to learn of the death of author and railroad historian Herb MacDonald on Saturday, October 11, 2014,… Continue»