The City released the list of finalists for the 2020 Ottawa Book Awards today. The lengthy list features literary works of intense drama, humour and biography to riveting history, political commentary and elegant poetry.
The awards recognize the top English and French books published in the past year by 15 local authors – exemplifying Ottawa’s rich literary talent – and Stittsville author, Amanda Jetté Knox, is on that list.
Her book, Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family, has been referred to as a guide to being a better human being. She carries the torch high for transgender rights; has been named a 2019 Chatelaine Magazine Woman of the Year; been featured in Ottawa Family Living, the Globe and Mail, the CBC and BBC. Amanda is a public speaker, blog writer and advocate for mental health.
Through this journey of putting pen to paper to write this open, compassionate and life-revealing book, Amanda has met many supportive people and they verily share the same the comment with her – ‘your community is amazing. I wish I had that community’. Yes, indeed, Stittsville is proud of Amanda and we wish her every success with being named a finalist.
The winners of each category will be announced at the awards ceremony, which will take place virtually on Wednesday, October 21 at 6:00 pm. Each winner will receive $7,500, while finalists will each receive $1,000. To learn more on the other Ottawa Book Award finalists visit here. To receive a link to the invitation for the event, please write to infoculture@ottawa.ca.
The Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry and Le Prix littéraire Émergence AAOF – 2020 will also be presented at the ceremony.
Past winners of the Ottawa Book Awards include: Kagiso Lesego Molope, Tim Cook, John Metcalf, Charlotte Gray and David O’Meara, Andrée Christensen, Yvon Malette, Pierre-Luc Landry, Alain Bernard Marchand and Margaret Michèle Cook.