Riptides: New Island Fiction shortlisted for Atlantic Book Awards

The Atlantic Book Awards Society released this week the shortlists for the 2013 Atlantic Book Awards. Among them, Riptides: New Island Fiction, edited by Richard Lemm, has been listed in the category for Best Atlantic-Published Book.

Dr. Lemm is a professor of English at the University of Prince Edward Island. Working with Acorn Press, Lemm issued an open call in 2011 for fiction from writers with a strong Island connection. The result was Riptides: New Island Fiction, a collection of 23 short stories, published by Acorn Press.

'This honour recognizes the emergence of talented fiction writers on PEI and that there is fictional life on the Island after L.M. Montgomery,' said Dr. Lemm. 'As well, the inclusion of UPEI faculty and graduates in the anthology is further evidence of this university as a place where excellence is nurtured and achieved.'

Among the authors in the collection are several writers from the UPEI community: Orysia Dawydiak (biomedical sciences), Malcolm Murray (philosophy), Alan Harrington (English), and a number of UPEI graduates including Melissa Carroll, Lisa-Marie Brunnen, Hannah Visser, and Dylan Riley.

'UPEI is extremely proud of Dr. Lemm and all of the UPEI writers who contributed to this excellent book,' said Dr. Robert Gilmour, Vice-President Research. 'It's exciting to see the culture of writing and creativity at UPEI being recognized in this way, which highlights the important role the university plays in the Island literary world.'

The Atlantic Book Awards are run by the Atlantic Book Awards Society: a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and acknowledge excellence in Atlantic Canadian writing and book publishing. The 2013 Atlantic Book Award winners will be announced at a ceremony May 15 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.