Stack of books featuring 2023 Vancouver Book Award finalists

Does your latest book have the ‘write’ stuff for the City of Vancouver’s 2024 Book Award?

January 22 2024 –

Calling all authors, publishers, photographers and designers. Submissions are now open for the 2024 Vancouver Book Award!

The winning contributor(s) will receive a $3,000 award to be presented at a celebratory event in the fall.

All genres of books are welcome. To be eligible, books must have been published in 2023, contribute significantly to an appreciation and understanding of the city of Vancouver, and heighten awareness of one or more of the following: 

  • Rich diversity and culture, including Vancouver’s place on the unceded homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations
  • Vancouver’s history 
  • Vancouver’s unique character  
  • The achievements of Vancouver’s residents

The selection committee, representing a variety of perspectives and experiences, will select the winning book and finalists based on excellence in content, illustration, design, or format. 

"The Vancouver Book Award is our annual opportunity to shine a spotlight on the incredible talents of our city's writers, editors, photographers, designers, and illustrators whose diverse perspectives contribute so much to the cultural fabric of Vancouver," said Mayor Ken Sim. "I look forward to honouring the many exciting and inspiring submissions at this year's award ceremony."

"Winning the Vancouver Book Award for the second time was an incredibly cherished experience” said Chelene Knight, who authored the 2023 winning book. “My novel, Junie, marked my initial foray into writing full-length fiction, and the overwhelmingly warm reception it received was truly a blessing. By choosing Hogan's Alley as the setting for my book, I aimed to inspire a fresh perspective on a long-lost community. As a born and raised Vancouverite, I am immensely proud to have my work recognized and celebrated by my hometown. The privilege of having my work stand alongside the creations of numerous outstanding Canadian writers is a responsibility I deeply appreciate."

Previous winners of the City of Vancouver Book Award include Chelene Knight for Junie (2023); Karen Duffek, Bill McLennan and Jordan Wilson for Where the Power Is: Indigenous Perspectives on Northwest Coast Art (2022); and Michelle Good for Five Little Indians (2021). 

The City of Vancouver Book Award has been recognizing authors of excellence of any genre since 1989. The $3,000 prize is funded by the City’s Publishing Reserve, established in 1977 as a permanent legacy for Vancouver writers and publishers.

The submission deadline is February 21 at 4pm. For full information and submission guidelines visit: vancouver.ca/bookaward.