NEWS RELEASE
STEPHEN LEACOCK ASSOCIATES
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For immediate release - April 23, 2018 2:00 pm EST – (Orillia, ON) –
Leacock Medal Longlist Revealed
The Board of Directors of the Leacock Associates announces its 2018 longlist for the 71st Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.
Board President Nathan Taylor has thanked the Canadian panel of judges and the committee of local readers for their recommendations.
The longlist for the 2018 Leacock Medal is:
(in alphabetical order by author surname)
Mel Anastasiou: Stella Ryman and the Fairmount Manor Mysteries: Pulp Literature Press
Jennifer Craig: Gone to Pot: Second Story Press
Nicolas Dickner: Six Degrees of Freedom: Vintage Canada
Laurie Gelman: Class Mom: Henry Holt & Co (Raincoast Books)
Randal Graham:Beforelife: ECW Press
Terry Griggs: The Discovery of Honey: Biblioasis
Jack Knox: Opportunity Knox: Twenty Years of Award-Losing Humour Writing: Heritage House
Scaachi Koul: One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter: Doubleday Canada
P. H. Oliver: The Gynesaurs: Self-Published
Manjusha Pawagi: Love and Laughter in the Time of Chemotherapy: Second Story Press
Some related facts:
This year, the top 10 books were chosen from a field of 70 entries from across Canada.
There are seven female and three male authors on the longlist.
The Leacock Associates accept and consider self-published books in addition to those from some of the world’s finest established and indie publishers, and once again a self-published book has made the top ten.
Nicolas Dickner’s book is a translation by Lazer Lederhendler from the Governor General’s Award-winning book Six degrés de liberté, written in French.
This year’s longlist will be narrowed down to three Leacock Medal finalists, who will be announced in Orillia on Wednesday, May 2, 2018.
The final winner, who also receives a $15,000 prize, is to be announced on Saturday, June 9, 2018, at a gala award dinner at Geneva Park Conference Centre, just outside Orillia, Ontario.
For the first time, both runner-ups will receive each receive $3,000, which is double the runner-up prize previously awarded.
The gala dinner is open to the public, and limited tickets are on sale exclusively through the Stephen Leacock Museum in Orillia at 705.329.1908
Membership in the registered charity, Stephen Leacock Associates, is open to the public at a newly lowered annual subscription of $10.
More information on the longlisted authors, as well as the history of the Medal, membership, and all the previous winners, is available on the Leacock Associates’ website at leacock.ca, on the Leacock Medal Facebook page, and on Twitter at @LeacockMedal.
Stephen Leacock Associates
Established in 1947, the Board of the Stephen Leacock Associates works to preserve the literary legacy of Stephen Leacock, oversee the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour award and encourage the growth of Canadian humour writing.
The prestigious Memorial Medal, accompanied by a $15,000 prize, is awarded annually for the best in Canadian literary humour. The award has attained an international reputation and is the only one of its kind for Canadian humour writing.
To encourage young writers, the Board also administers an annual Student Award for humour writing.
Membership is open to the public.
