The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is pleased to announce the shortlist for the Al and Eurithe Purdy BC Award for Excellence, a new annual prize recognizing an outstanding book of fiction or non-fiction written by a British Columbia author and traditionally published by a BC-based publisher.
The finalists were chosen from nearly 40 eligible titles published in British Columbia in 2025 and include two books of non-fiction and one book of fiction written by authors from Victoria, Williams Lake and Nelson.
“We would like to emphasize the quality of the books being written and published in the province—the field of eligible titles was impressive,” remarked Marisa Alps, the Artistic and Executive Director of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. “The books that were eventually selected are firmly rooted in the history and landscape of BC and are not only rewarding to read, but bring awareness to issues of cultural importance to British Columbians. They also remind us how a beautifully and skillfully told story can create connection and understanding.”
The 2026 shortlisted authors are:
George M. Abbott — Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now (UBC Press)
As the current Chief Commissioner of the BC Treaty Commission, George M. Abbott brings a rare insider’s perspective to Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now, chronicling more than 150 years of BC-Indigenous relations and the failure to resolve Aboriginal title.
Cecilia Dick DeRose, with Sage Birchwater — One Arrow Left: The Memoir of Secwépemc Knowledge Keeper Cecilia DeRose (Caitlin Press)
In One Arrow Left, Secwépemc elder, matriarch, and knowledge-keeper Cecilia DeRose (1935-2026) worked with writer Sage Birchwater to recount her journey from the meadows of the Cariboo through the trauma of residential school to receiving an honorary doctorate in recognition of her work in language and cultural preservation.
Sarah Louise Butler — Rufous and Calliope (Douglas & McIntyre)
Sarah Louise Butler takes readers deep into the rugged BC Interior in Rufous and Calliope, a powerful work of geographic fiction that features runaway children, treehouse hideaways, early-onset dementia and the persistence of hope amidst ecological grief.
Established through the generous support of Eurithe Purdy in memory of her late husband, acclaimed Canadian writer Al Purdy, the award recognizes books distinguished by literary excellence, dedication to craft, originality, and a strong connection to British Columbia’s cultural, historical, or literary landscape. The award seal, which features a dogwood flower, was created expressly for the Al and Eurithe Purdy BC Award for Excellence by acclaimed artist Roy Henry Vickers.
“It is an honour to be able to endow this new prize for BC writers,” said Eurithe Purdy. “I know from long experience how much effort writers put into sustaining our literary culture and how little recognition they normally receive. I hope this new prize will go some way to showing our appreciation.”
The three finalists—George Abbott, Sage Birchwater and Sarah Louise Butler—will be featured at the BC Books Showcase event moderated by Kathryn Gretsinger on Friday, August 14, at 2 pm during the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. The winner of the $5,000 prize will be announced on August 13 at the Festival’s opening reception.