Canada Reads winner Kate Beaton among finalists for 2023 Doug Wright Awards for Canadian comics
Titles by Julie Doucet, Jonathan Dyck, Cole Pauls are also nominated in 2023
Nova Scotian comic artist Kate Beaton has been nominated for the 2023 Doug Wright Awards for her graphic memoir Ducks.
Founded in 2005, the Doug Wright Awards have been awarded annually to celebrate excellence in comics across Canada. Named after the most influential Canadian cartoonist of the 20th century, the Doug Wright Awards recognize comics and graphic books of all sizes and readerships.
This year, a record 200 entries by Canadian authors and artists were submitted from dozens of publishers and self-published authors to be considered in four categories: best book, emerging talent, small or micro-press book and kids' book.
Beaton's latest book Ducks became the first graphic memoir to win Canada Reads in 2023 when it was championed by Jeopardy! star Mattea Roach.
In Ducks, Beaton leaves her tight-knit seaside Nova Scotia community to pay off her student debt working in the Albertan oil sands where she encounters harsh realities, including the everyday trauma that no one discusses.
Montreal-based cartoonist Julie Doucet has also been nominated for her latest graphic novel, Time Zone J. After she famously quit in the 1990s, Doucet's return to the comic medium follows the diary entries detailing a whirlwind romance in 1989.
The Doug Wright Award shortlist includes:
- Ducks by Kate Beaton
- Time Zone J by Julie Doucet
- Shelterbelts by Jonathan Dyck
- The Flamingo by Guojing
- Kwändür by Cole Pauls
- You Know, Sex by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
The Nipper Award is granted to the best emerging talent. The shortlist includes:
- Our Little Secret by Emily Carrington
- Shelterbelts by Jonathan Dyck
- We Were Younger Once by Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet
- Call Me Bill by Lynette Richards
- Blind Alley No. 1, ISH by Adam de Souza
The Pigskin Peters Award recognizes the best small or micro-press book. The shortlist includes:
- The Life I Want by Patrick Allaby
- Assorted Baggage by Matthew Daly
- Where Have You Been? by Ivana Filipovich
- Butterfly House by Troy Little and Brenda Hickey
- Thousand Oaks: Machine Mail (Part 3) by Blaise Moritz
The Egghead Award is for the best kids' book. The shortlist includes:
- Scout is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong
- Paws: Mindy Makes Some Space by Michele Assarasakorn and Nathan Fairbairn
- Super Family! by Cale Atkinson
- The Flamingo by Guojing
- You Know, Sex by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
Nominees and winners are chosen by a panel of three judges per category.
This year's judges include Sonja Ahlers, Jordan Reg. Aelick, Gillian Goerz, Dave Howard, Dave Lapp, Xiaoxiao Li, Linda Ludke, Joshua Rosen, Kat Sun, Andrew Townsend, Jay Aaron Roy and Michel Vrana.
The Doug Wright Awards winners will be announced at an in-person and livestreamed gala event in Toronto on Apr. 29, 2023.
