McLean, Coupland vie for Leacock humour-writing prize
CBC Radio's Stuart McLean and acclaimed writer Douglas Coupland are among the finalists for the 60th annual Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.
Organizers of the humour-writingprize — one of the oldest literary honours in Canadian history — unveiled on Thursdayits list 2007's five finalists, which a panel of local readers and national judges whittled down from 46 titles.
The nominees are:
- Secrets From the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean
- JPod by Douglas Coupland
- Cockeyed by Ryan Knighton
- Tuckahoe Slidebottle by Neil McKinnon
- The Passionate Gardener by Des Kennedy
McLean is a two-time past Leacock winner, picking up the honour in 1999 and 2001 for Home from the Vinyl Cafe and Vinyl Cafe Unplugged, respectively.
"He will be in the running to match [former] CBC broadcaster Arthur Black's hat trick," organizers said. "Can Stuart do the same?"
The winner will receive the silver Leacock Medal and $10,000 at an April 18 ceremony in Orillia, Ont.
The Leacock Medal for Humour was established in 1946, several years after the death of the author of Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town. Past Leacock winners include Mordecai Richler, W.O. Mitchell, Pierre Berton, Farley Mowat, Roch Carrier and Will Ferguson.