College of Arts and Science alumni win Sask Book Awards

Four graduates of the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Arts and Science were honoured with five awards at the 2023 Saskatchewan Book Awards Gala on May 4.

The recipients include Naomi Hansen (BA’17), a recent graduate of the Department of History whose debut book won both the First Book Award and the Book of the Year Award.

Hansen’s Only in Saskatchewan: Recipes and Stories from the Province’s Best-Loved Eateries is a collection of recipes from Saskatchewan restaurants paired with profiles of the chefs and families behind those recipes. The book was published in 2022 by TouchWood Editions.

“I am absolutely thrilled to receive two Saskatchewan Book Awards—it is truly an incredible honour!” said Hansen. “The overwhelming support that Only in Saskatchewan has received and continues to receive is something I am consistently amazed by, and these two awards are no exception. May 3 was also the one year publishing anniversary of Only in Saskatchewan, so this is truly the most wonderful way to cap off my first year as a published author.”

The Saskatchewan Book Awards are an annual celebration of the best work by Saskatchewan writers.

OtherCollege of Arts and Science alumni recognized at the gala included Anne Lazurko (BA’86, Cert’87), who won the Fiction Award for What is Written on the Tongue (ECW Press).

Alasdair Rees (BA’15) won Le Prix du Livre Français for the French-language poetry book mon écologie (Les Éditions du Blé).

Dale Eisler (BA’70) received the Scholarly Writing Award for his book From Left to Right: Saskatchewan's Political and Economic Transformation (University of Regina Press).

The winners are among 13 College of Arts and Science graduates shortlisted for this year’s awards. Read about the other nominees here.

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