Iain_Lawrence

Iain Lawrence

Iain Lawrence is a bestselling author for children and young adults. He studied journalism at Vancouver Community College, and spent the next ten years working for newspapers in northern BC. Near the town of Smithers, he was once charged by a bear, on a motorcycle. Lawrence now lives in the Gulf Islands with his partner Kristin, his dog Misty, and his cat Sailor Sam.

The Canada Council for the Arts announced the winners of the 2007 Governor General’s Literary Awards on November 27, 2007. Lawrence won the prize for Children’s Literature – Text for Gemini Summer. Awards were presented by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, at Rideau Hall on December 13. This year marks the 71st presentation of the GGs, Canada’s oldest and most prestigious awards for English- and French-language Canadian literature.

The Canada Council for the Arts funds, administers and promotes the Governor General’s Literary Awards. For the first time, the value of each award will be $25,000, increased from $15,000 in celebration of the Canada Council’s 50th anniversary. Each winner will also receive a specially-crafted copy of the winning book bound by Montreal bookbinder Lise Dubois. The publisher of each winning book will receive $3,000 to support promotional activities. Non-winning finalists will each receive $1,000 in recognition of their selection as finalists, bringing the total value of the Awards to approximately $450,000.

The jury comments were:

Just as the first appearance of a stray dog ignites “a little spark of happiness” in nine-year-old Danny River, Gemini Summer kindles subtle yet powerful emotions that linger well after one has turned the final page. Lawrence’s story is brilliantly imagined, his prose clear and poetic, his characters irresistible.