Tim Blackett wins Saskatchewan First Book and Fiction Book Awards
Regina author Tim Blackett won two Saskatchewan Book Awards—the Fiction Book Award and the First Book Award—for his debut story collection, Grandview Drive. The awards were handed out on May 3rd at a gala event in Regina.
Grandview Drive is a collection of sixteen connected short stories investigates the ways we humans so often feel lonely and alone, yet cannot avoid having our lives be contingent upon others—often in ways we can neither see nor understand. Blackett’s characters long for meaningful connection and struggle to find it; they are too often unaware of the connections that are right in front of them. This collection that builds on itself; the stories stand on their own, but they are strengthened by the (sometimes secret) connections they hold with each other. Blackett’s debut asks the reader to think about love and loss, loneliness and heartbreak, redemption and starting life anew.
“Grandview Drive is an impressive debut and a welcome addition to literary fiction in Canada. The stories in this collection are smart and creative, sombre and amusing. Subtle and sly in their connections, these stories reward us with universal meditations on loneliness, insecurity, loss, and longing. You won’t soon forget these original characters and their stories. Tim Blackett is a talent to watch.” –Lisa Bird-Wilson, author of Probably Ruby
Tim Blackett is a Canadian writer whose work has appeared in Briarpatch, [spaces] and a small Saskatchewan journal called Swift, Flowing. He holds a Bachelor of Theology and a BA in English from the University of Regina, as well as a certificate in creative writing from Humber College. He placed second in the John V. Hicks Long Manuscript Award (2019) for Grandview Drive before it was published, and the titular story was longlisted for the Carter v. Cooper Short Fiction Award (2012). Blackett's #BookTok channel can be viewed a www.tiktok.com/@timrblackett. He lives in Regina, SK.
The Saskatchewan Book Awards is a program that celebrates Saskatchewan’s diverse literary community. Now in its 31st year, there are thirteen awards presented to authors and publishers in the province.