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Four Members of the FASS Community Nominated for Ottawa Book Awards

The City of Ottawa has announced its nominees for the 2016 Ottawa Book Awards, and five members of the Carleton community are among the finalists (four of which are in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences).

The annual awards recognize exceptional fiction and non-fiction books produced by Ottawa residents in both official languages. Three of the four Carleton nominees are in the English non-fiction category and one nominee is in French non-fiction.

Four Carleton English Ottawa Book Awards Nominees

Among the English non-fiction nominees is Fight to the Finish: Canadians in the Second World War, 1944-1945 by Tim Cook, a historian at the Canadian War Museum and an adjunct research professor of History in Carleton’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The book is the second volume of a two-part series and tells the stories of Canadians both overseas and at home. Cook is a past winner of the Ottawa Book Award for his non-fiction book At the Sharp End: Canadians Fighting the Great War, which won in 2008.

Tim Cook's The Necessary War
Tim Cook’s The Necessary War

Another nominee from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in the English non-fiction division is Norman Hillmer for his book O.D. Skelton: A Portrait of Canadian Ambition. Hillmer is a Chancellor’s Professor in History and International Affairs. The biography examines the life of Skelton, a professor and exceptional public servant who made his mark in Canadian foreign affairs.

O.D. Skelton: A Portrait of Canadian Ambition by Norman Hillmer
O.D. Skelton: A Portrait of Canadian Ambition by Norman Hillmer

Also nominated was English Department instructor Mark Frutkin for his latest collection of poems, Hermit Thrush.

Mark Frutkin's Hermit Thrush

The final English non-fiction nominee is Dan Rubinstein, senior writer with the Department of University Communications, with his book Born to Walk: The Transformative Power of a Pedestrian Act. The book is dedicated to the simple act of walking and how, shown through Rubinstein’s research and reporting, this fundamental movement is connected to our overall well-being.

French Non-fiction Ottawa Book Awards Nominee

In the French non-fiction division, Patricia Smart, Chancellor’s Professor Emerita of the French Department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, received a nomination for her work De Marie de l’Incarnation à Nelly Arcan. The book details a collection of writings by women providing their perspectives and experiences throughout Quebec’s history.

Patricia Smart's De Marie de l’Incarnation à Nelly Arcan
Patricia Smart’s

The winning publications will be revealed on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Ottawa City Hall.