Arthur Erickson circa 1961.
David Stouck's award-winning biography of Arthur Erickson has been shortlisted for another book prize. Arthur Erickson: An Architect's Life is one of five finalists for the 2014 Vancouver Book Award. The comprehensive biography of the iconic Vancouver architect won two B.C. Book Prizes earlier this year as well as the Basil Stuart-Stubbs Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Book on British Columbia, and was shortlisted for the prestigious RBC Taylor Prize (formerly known as the Charles Taylor Prize).
The Vancouver Book Award finalists, announced Thursday, include works of nonfiction, fiction and poetry.
Another biography, Bruce Grierson's What Makes Olga Run?, is also a finalist. It chronicles the achievements of Olga Kotelko, who began her championship track and field career at the age of 77 and competed into her 90s (and died this year at 95).
Also nominated is Doretta Lau for her short story collection How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun?, which the jury cited as "witty and imaginative." Billeh Nickerson's poetry collection Artificial Cherry is also on the shortlist, as well as Ashley Little's novel Anatomy of a Girl Gang, which won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize at the BC Book Prizes this year.
The winner will be announced at the Mayor's Arts Awards ceremony on Oct. 7.
Marsha Lederman