Megan Gail Coles winner of 2014 BMO Winterset Award

Megan Gail Coles has won the 2014 BMO Winterset Award for her book, Eating Habits of the Chronically Lonesome.

The award is the province's richest literary prize, at $10,000.

Coles, who is originally from Savage Cove on the Northern Peninsula, said she was honoured to receive the recognition so early in her career. 

"I think it's really encouraging for emerging writers, because it's my first book. It gives people hope that you can have success with your first book," said Coles. 

"It's also really encouraging for people writing in the short story genre, because sometimes short stories don't get the attention they deserve. So hopefully it will bolster other people and give them motivation to keep writing."

Coles is currently working on a trilogy of plays examining resource exploitation in Newfoundland and Labrador, The Driftwood Trilogy: Falling Trees, Building Houses, and Wasting Paper. 

The two other 2014 award finalists were Michael Crummey for Sweetland​, and Alan Doyle for Where I Belong.

The awards, which celebrate excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador writing, were presented Thursday at a ceremony at Government House in St. John's.

Eating Habits of the Chronically Lonesome was one of 26 works by Newfoundland and Labrador authors, either native-born or resident, that were submitted by publishers from across Canada. Books in any genre, published in 2014 were eligible. 

I think it's really encouraging for emerging writers, because it's my first book. It gives people hope that you can have success with your first book.- Megan Gail Coles

The jury consisted of Mark Callanan, John Crosbie and Marie Wadden.

The BMO Winterset Award was established in 2000 by writer and journalist Richard Gwyn, in honour of his late wife, Sandra Fraser Gwyn.

Fraser Gwyn was a social historian and prize-winning author from St. John's.

The Winterset award is named after the historic house on Winter Avenue, where she grew up.