It’s simple, really. Read the books; mark your ballot. Tell the world — or at least the Kootenays — which book from the One Book, One Kootenay 2012 shortlist you think should get the nod. The deadline for voting for the book all Kootenay book-lovers should read is August 10th. Ballot boxes are in libraries throughout the Kootenay Library Federation.
One Book, One Kootenay (OBOK) is a region-wide book club that celebrates the work of the talented writers living in the Kootenay Boundary. Three Kootenay authors share the spotlight for the fourth annual One Book, One Kootenay honour. The 2012 nominees are Yes Sister, No Sister by Jennifer Craig, The Third Crop: A personal and historical journey into the photo albums and shoeboxes of the Slocan Valley 1800s to early 1940s by Rita Moir, and Boundary Country by Tom Wayman.
Jennifer Craig’s semi-autobiographical novel, which made the London Times bestseller list, is a funny, engaging story of a group of trainee nurses in the 1950s in Leeds, England. Yes Sister, No Sister is rife with long hours, bodily fluids, good-natured camaraderie, and Craig’s trademark Yorkshire humour.
Tom Wayman’s Boundary Country is a collection of stories that explore boundaries human and geographical to which Wayman brings his gift for insightful observation and wry humour. A multiple award-winner, Wayman has penned more than 20 books of poetry, essays, and fiction.
Rita Moir’s The Third Crop isn’t just about the Slocan Valley, rich though that valley may be. Full of photographs and down-to-earth prose, we can laugh and cry with these country-dwellers and relate to their challenges and triumphs. Moir’s previous books have all been shortlisted or have won awards, including BC’s Hubert Evans Award.
The selected book will be announced September 8, on International Literacy Day. The 2012 OBOK author will then embark on a five-library tour and enjoy the honour of being the One Book, One Kootenay recipient for 2012 — but all the books are winners, of course.
OBOK is a public library supported program initiated by the Kootenay Library Federation. For more information go to the One Book, One Kootenay website at obok.ca, where you can find out more about the authors and their books.