A Nelson Star feature about a woman who survived the Frank Slide as a child and spent the rest of her life trying to escape the notoriety it brought her has been nominated for a Ma Murray Award.
Sam McBride, who took piano lessons from Marion Leitch McPhail, is up for the Neville Shanks Memorial Award for Historical Writing.
His story, entitled “The Nelson woman who HATED being famous,” was published in the Star on May 1, 2015.
“I enjoyed telling Marion McPhail`s extraordinary story, and I really appreciated the online feedback, particularly comments from other former piano students of Marion,” said McBride, a Castlegar resident.
Star editor Greg Nesteroff said he “knew immediately” that McBride’s story was a potential award-winner and “we’re very pleased that the judges agreed.”
Award winners will be announced at a gala in Richmond on May 7.
Other nominees in the category are Frank Peebles of the Prince George Citizen and Alison Taylor, Clare Ogilvie, and Jon Parris of Whistler’s Pique news magazine.
The Ma Murray Awards recognize excellence in BC and Yukon community newspapers. They’re named for legendary editor and publisher Margaret Murray, who ran the Bridge River-Lillooet News.