The Fall by Colleen Nelson was featured in the Winnipeg Free Press‘ BOOKS section on June 15th.

“[Colleen Nelson] has a sharp ear for authentic dialogue … The dragons Ben faces are gangs, drugs and alcohol, but they are just as real and much more menacing than medieval monsters.  Teens will relate to many things in this novel.”

Read the full review here – and be sure to pick up your copy!

You may have seen Bill Wright and Dave Craig in the news this past week.  Their non-fiction release, 300 Years of Beer, has generated much media attention across the province.  Connect with Bill and Dave on Facebook and Twitter to find out more about this exciting local release!

Richard Van Camp was interviewed by Shelagh Roger’s on CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter.

Listen to the interview now to hear about Richard’s writing process and how his Dogrib (Tlicho) background and his love for the north influence his writing. Also hear how he describes Enfield & Wizenty editor Maurice Mierau as a “warrior poet!”

The Lesser Blessed, based on Richard’s novel, is now playing at The Globe theatre in Winnipeg. Read the glowing review from the Winnipeg Free Press here!

Just in time for Father’s Day, Great Plains Publications has released a new book on Manitobans’ favourite summer pastime. 300 Years of Beer: An Illustrated History of Brewing in Manitoba covers all aspects of beer-making and beer-drinking in this province.

Join Bill Wright and Dave Craig for the launch of 300 Years of Beer at McNally Robinson on June 6th at 7pm. Don’t be late – specially labelled bottles of Fort Garry are on hand for the first 60 guests who arrive!

Wondering about the Manitoba roots of Budweiser’s famous team of Clydesdales? Curious about the long history of Standard Lager? Want to know the origin of Half Pints’ unusual name? All this and much more can be found in 300 Years of Beer: An Illustrated History of Brewing in Manitoba.

Enfield & Wizenty author Richard Van Camp took home the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction at the Alberta Literary Awards for his collection of short stories Godless But Loyal to Heaven. Congratulations Richard!

Also shortlisted in the same category was I Know Who You Remind Me Of by Naomi Lewis. We are delighted to see our authors recognized for their fantastic work. Read about the awards in the Edmonton Journal.

In Richard Van Camp’s fictionalized north anything can happen and yet each story is rooted in a vivid contemporary reality. The stories offer a potent mix tape of tropes from science fiction, horror, Western and Aboriginal traditions. The title story pits Torchy against the Smith Squad, fighting for love and family in a bloody, cathartic, and ultimately hopeful narrative. Van Camp’s characters repeatedly confront the bleakness of sexual assault, substance addiction and violence with the joy and humour of inspired storytelling.

Both books are available at fine bookstores everywhere!

We are excited to announce that Gail Sidonie Sobat’s Chance to Dance for You was picked as a starred selection in the Spring 2013 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens.  Congratulations Gail!

Sometimes keeping a secret is harder than telling the truth.

Ian lives in a suburb where everything’s the same. The houses are the same, the cars are the same, and their aspirations are the same. But Ian is different. Openly gay in his bigoted high school, Ian doesn’t exactly fit in. But he’s not worried – he’s been training in dance for a long time and soon he’ll be able to leave town and train to become a professional. Then he falls in love with Jess, the high school quarterback…

More exciting news here at Great Plains Publications!

Our spring YA titles continue to shine, with a fantastic review of The Fall just in from CM Magazine:

“The theme of how grief is handled by men and boys permeates this novel and makes it a must-read for teachers and older teens, both boys and girls. The physical and emotional absence of men in the novel’s demographic will raise many passionate discussions, but it is the boys’ pain and grief that will engage students who will have strong opinions on the issues raised in this timely Canadian novel.”
— Highly recommended, CM Magazine

May 7, Anne Mahon’s The Lucky Ones: African Refugees’ Stories of Extraordinary Courage launches at McNally Robinson at 7 pm.  Storytellers from the novel will be present and some will read.  We are excited to hear that Lloyd Axworthy will also take part, reading a story submitted by “Anonymous.”  Excerpts of the novel have been featured in the Winnipeg Free Press and on CBC.  We hope to see you there!

The Manitoba Book Awards were handed out in front of a full house at the West End Cultural Centre, and Enfield & Wizenty is delighted to announce that Méira Cook’s The House on Sugarbush Road took home the McNally Robinson Book of the Year.  In the McNally Robinson Book for Young People category, Kevin Marc Fournier’s The Green-Eyed Queen of Suicide City published by Great Plains Teen Fiction, was named the winner.

Congratulations Méira and Kevin!

We are delighted to announce that two of our Enfield & Wizenty titles have been shortlisted for the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction as part of the Alberta Literary Awards.

I KNOW WHO YOU REMIND ME OF by Naomi Lewis

“Full of sympathy and hilarity, the absurd and the unexpected, I Know Who You Remind Me Of is a treat to read.” - Saleema Nawaz

“From its title onward, the debut story collection by Naomi K. Lewis is about forging a future in order to spite one’s past.” – The Edmonton Journal

 
GODLESS BUT LOYAL TO HEAVEN by Richard Van Camp

“Hard-nosed but thin-skinned, sturdy yet totally off the wall, Richard Van Camp’s Godless but Loyal to Heaven is such a vibrant story collection that I’m kicking myself for only getting around to it now” – Edmonton Journal

“Gripping, graphic and insightful, Godless but Loyal to Heaven opens up the human heart and lets the reader watch it pumping. Van Camp slips in and out of characters like a shapeshifter, introducing poetry and the fantastic into a brutal landscape” — Eden Robinson, author of Monkey Beach

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

We are excited to announce that our spring season is off to a strong start here at Great Plains, with Jan Andrews’ THE SILENT SUMMER OF KYLE MCGINLEY receiving a glowing review from CM Magazine.

“Andrews has created a character with whom young readers will have empathy, with whom they will laugh and cry, and someone they will not soon forget.”

Read the full review here.