Toronto, May 2, 2017 – Five books are in contention to become the First Nation Communities READ community reading selection for 2017-2018. Five jury members from First Nation public libraries in Ontario made the shortlist selections. The title selection announcement for 2017-2018 will take place in Toronto on June 28 as part of National Aboriginal Day Celebrations. The selected title’s creator will be the recipient of the $5,000 Periodical Marketers of Canada Aboriginal Literature Award.

Shortlist Titles

Carol Daniels – Bearskin Diary published by Nightwood Editions, 2015
Melanie Florence – Missing Nimama published by Clockwise Press, 2015
Bev Sellers – Price Paid published by Talonbooks, 2016
Bev Sellers – They Called Me Number One published by Talonbooks, 2013
Tim Tingle – How I Became a Ghost published by The Roadrunner Press, 2015

The First Nation Communities READ jury considered more than 50 submissions before settling on the shortlist above.

Periodical Marketers of Canada Aboriginal Literature Award

The Periodical Marketers of Canada’s Aboriginal Literature Award is an award inspired by the goals of the First Nation Communities READ program. It will provide the creators of the First Nation Communities READ 2017-2018 title selection with a $5,000 prize. This is the fourth year the Periodical Marketers of Canada will present the Aboriginal Literature Award.

First Nation Communities READ is the Ontario First Nation Public Library Community’s contribution to the popular reading movement. Launched in 2003 by the First Nations Public Library Community in Ontario with support from Southern Ontario Library Service, it promotes a community-based approach to reading, FNCR: encourages family literacy, intergenerational storytelling, and intergenerational information sharing; increases awareness of the relevance and importance of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit writing, illustration, and publishing; promotes the publication, sharing, and understanding of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit voices and experiences; increases awareness and sales of the titles it honours.

The focus of the First Nation Communities READ program alternates annually between books for children and books for adults and young adults. The 2017-2018 First Nation Communities READ submissions call was for young adult and adult books. The 2016-2017 selection was Spirit Bear by Jennifer Harrington and illustrated by Batchawana First Nation member Michael Arnott. Spirit Bear is published by ecobooks4kids.

First Nation Communities Read is the Ontario First Nation public library community’s contribution to the popular reading movement. Launched in 2003 by the First Nations Public Library Community in Ontario with support from Southern Ontario Library Service, it promotes a community-based approach to reading, FNCR:
•encourages family literacy, intergenerational storytelling, and intergenerational information sharing;
•increases awareness of the relevance and importance of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit writing, illustration, and publishing;
•promotes the publication, sharing, and understanding of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit voices and experiences;
•increases awareness and sales of the titles it honours.
Southern Ontario Library Service is mandated to deliver programs and services on behalf of the Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport by:
•increasing cooperation and coordination among public library boards and other information providers in order to promote the provision of library service to the public;
•assisting public library boards by providing them with services and programs that reflect their needs, including consultation, training, and development.
For more information about First Nation Communities Read and Southern Ontario Library Service, contact:

Nancy Cooper
First Nations Consultant
Southern Ontario Library Service

Telephone: 416-961-1669, Ext. 5194
E-mail: ncooper@sols.org

Periodical Marketers of Canada is the national association of magazine and book wholesalers serving 35,000 retail newsstands. Periodical Marketers of Canada was established under federal charter in 1942 for the purpose of furthering the wholesale periodical distribution industry and contributing to the encouragement of reading in Canada. Current members of the association are: Monahan Agency, Vernon, BC; Metro News, Toronto, ON; TNG, Burlington, ON.

PMC’s ongoing activities include funding of a non-profit charitable foundation, the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters, which makes contributions to individuals and agencies engaged in the encouragement of literacy and reading in Canada.

For more information about Periodical Marketers of Canada, contact:

Barry Francis
Periodical Marketers of Canada