Â鶹´«Ã½

TORONTO — Books on wildfires, racism, and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls are among the finalists this year for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. 

The Writers' Trust of Canada announced the short list for the $75,000 prize on Wednesday.

The finalists include "Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast" by John Vaillant, which tells the story of how fire has become an existential threatin part by examining the aftermath of Alberta's Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016.

Also on the list is "Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls" by Angela Sterritt, which blends memoir with investigative journalism.

"Ordinary Notes" by Christina Sharpe, about the everyday ups and downs of Black lives and how they exist within racist systems, also made the short list.

"My Road from Damascus: A Memoir" by Jamal Saeed and translated by Catherine Cobham and "Ordinary Wonder Tales: Essays" by Emily Urquhart round out the finalists, who each receive $5,000. 

The prize will be handed out Nov. 21 at the annual Writers' Trust Awards ceremony.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2023.

The Canadian Press