Jean Marc Ah-Sen shortlisted for prestigious Toronto Book Awards
In the Beggarly Style of Imitation, by Jean Marc Ah-Sen, has been named one of five finalists for the 2020 Toronto Book Awards, which acknowledge books of exceptional literary merit that are evocative of Toronto.
When reached at his Toronto home, Ah-Sen was appreciative of the honour. “I'm flabbergasted that my book is a finalist for the Toronto Book Awards,” said Ah-Sen, “but I'm even more grateful for the lifeline that the recognition offers. Independent publishers and writers have always struggled, but they've been hit especially hard in these past few months. Every ounce of goodwill is worth its weight in gold. I've been fortunate enough to have worked with Nightwood Editions, Book*hug Press, and Coach House Books, and I may be wrong, but I see the nomination as a validation of the spirit of independent Canadian publishing.”
Jean Marc Ah-Sen is the Toronto-based author of Grand Menteur, which was selected by The Globe and Mail as one of the top 100 Best Books of 2015. The National Post has hailed his work as “an inventive escape from the conventional.” In the Beggarly Style of Imitation--Ah-Sen's second book--which The Walrus claims “offers a vision of the self that is compulsively creative and ecstatically pervious to the world,” was released this past April.
Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the Toronto Book Awards honour authors of books of literary or artistic merit that reflect the diversity and depth of the communities that call Toronto home. The annual awards offer $15,000 in prize money: finalists receive $1,000 and the winning author is awarded $10,000.
The winner of the Toronto Book Awards will be named in a virtual presentation livestreamed from the Toronto Reference Library on November 30, 2020.
When reached at his Toronto home, Ah-Sen was appreciative of the honour. “I'm flabbergasted that my book is a finalist for the Toronto Book Awards,” said Ah-Sen, “but I'm even more grateful for the lifeline that the recognition offers. Independent publishers and writers have always struggled, but they've been hit especially hard in these past few months. Every ounce of goodwill is worth its weight in gold. I've been fortunate enough to have worked with Nightwood Editions, Book*hug Press, and Coach House Books, and I may be wrong, but I see the nomination as a validation of the spirit of independent Canadian publishing.”
Jean Marc Ah-Sen is the Toronto-based author of Grand Menteur, which was selected by The Globe and Mail as one of the top 100 Best Books of 2015. The National Post has hailed his work as “an inventive escape from the conventional.” In the Beggarly Style of Imitation--Ah-Sen's second book--which The Walrus claims “offers a vision of the self that is compulsively creative and ecstatically pervious to the world,” was released this past April.
Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the Toronto Book Awards honour authors of books of literary or artistic merit that reflect the diversity and depth of the communities that call Toronto home. The annual awards offer $15,000 in prize money: finalists receive $1,000 and the winning author is awarded $10,000.
The winner of the Toronto Book Awards will be named in a virtual presentation livestreamed from the Toronto Reference Library on November 30, 2020.