The British Columbia Historical Federation is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 Historical Writing Awards. The awards will be announced during the awards gala taking place this year in Chilliwack on May 4 at 7pm.  

In alphabetical order by author, the list is as follows:  

• Jennifer Bonnell, Stewards of Splendour: A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum.    

• Sam George, with Jill Yonit Goldberg, Liam Belson, Dylan MacPhee, and Tanis Wilson, The Fire Still Burns. UBC Press, Purich Books.    

• Barry Gough, The Curious Passage of Richard Blanshard. Harbour Publishing.    

• Wayne McCrory, The Wild Horses of the Chilcotin. Harbour Publishing.  

• Katherine Palmer Gordon, This Place is Who We Are. Harbour Publishing. 

• Ellen Schwartz, Galena Bay Odyssey. Heritage House.   

• Jonathan Swainger, The Notorious Georges. UBC Press.    

The BC Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing will be awarded together with $2,500 to the author whose book makes the most significant contribution to the historical literature of British Columbia. The second-place winner will receive $1,500 and third place, $500. One book will also be awarded the Community History Award, worth $500. Certificates of Honourable Mention may be awarded to other books as recommended by the judges.   

The 2023 competition received 25 publications, all of which add to the compendium of historical writing in British Columbia.