Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
Winner: $25,000; Finalists: $2,500
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Winner
Richard Gwyn
Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times; Volume Two: 1867-1891
Published by Random House Canada
Jury Citation
In Nation Maker, Richard Gwyn gives us a politician who was far more shrewd and tough than either the debonair image he himself cultivated, or the caricature imprinted on too much of our history. Gwyn shows how Macdonald built a nation out of a reluctant union of impoverished colonies, and shaped the Canada we know today. He explores the most important episodes of early post-Confederation history, including the construction of a transcontinental railway, the two Riel rebellions, and the periodic eruptions of US-Canada tensions. This is a fully-rounded and compelling portrait of our first prime minister’s public and private life. Gwyn’s subtitle – “His Life, Our Times” – reflects the author’s view that history is about more than the past. Gwyn’s distinctive voice, and his skill in presenting Macdonald’s achievements to contemporary readers, enables us to reflect on this country’s past, present, and future.
Video Profile
About the Book
This is the second volume of an award-winning biography of Canada’s first and most important prime minister, the man who made Confederation happen and went on to build this country over the next quarter century. Richard Gwyn investigates in detail how Macdonald dealt with Louis Riel's two rebellions and determinedly pursued the construction of the railroad that would link east to west and thereby help to forge a nation. The book also offers personal glimpses of this very public politician’s life, such as his second marriage, the birth of a disabled child, and the assassination of a close friend.
About the Author
The first volume of Richard Gwyn’s biography of Macdonald, John A: The Man Who Made Us, was a finalist for this prize in 2007. It was also named one of the Best Canadian Political Books of the Last 25 Years by the Writers’ Trust of Canada and Samara. Nation Maker was a finalist for last year’s Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction and the Governor General’s Literary Award. Gwyn lives in Toronto with the writer Carol Bishop-Gwyn.
Finalists
(Click on cover for more info)
Ron Graham | The Last Act: Pierre Trudeau, the Gang of Eight, and the Fight for Canada
Published by Allen Lane Canada
Max and Monique Nemni(authors), George Tombs(translator) | Trudeau Transformed: The Shaping of a Statesman, 1944-1965
Published by McClelland & Stewart
Andrew Nikiforuk | Empire of the Beetle: How Human Folly and a Tiny Bug Are Killing North America’s Great Forests
Published by Greystone Books/David Suzuki Foundation
Jacques Poitras | Imaginary Line: Life on an Unfinished Border
Published by Goose Lane Editions
The finalists were selected by the jury of journalist David Akin, historian Charlotte Gray, and political scientist Janice Gross Stein.
The prize was presented in Ottawa at the Politics and the Pen Gala on April 25, 2012.
About the Prize
Now in its twelfth year, the prize is awarded annually to a non-fiction book that captures a political subject of interest to Canadian readers and enhances our understanding of the issue. The winning work combines compelling new insights with depth of research and is of significant literary merit. Strong consideration is given to books that, in the opinion of the jury, have the potential to shape or influence Canadian political life.
About Shaughnessy Cohen
The Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing was established in honour of the outspoken and popular Member of Parliament from Windsor, Ontario, who died on December 9, 1998.
Watch the video below to learn more.