Former Stratton man up for Manitoba book award

Editor’s Note: Jonathan Ball is a Rainy River High School graduate and grew up in Stratton. He currently lives in Winnipeg.
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers are pleased to announce the Manitoba Book Awards shortlists. The awards will be presented at the Manitoba Book Awards gala, on Sunday April 28th at the West End Cultural Centre and hosted by Ismaila Alfa. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 8:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The shortlists and recipients are selected by a variety of juries, comprised of writers, publishers and other book industry personnel from across Canada.
2013 Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/Prix Lansdowne de poésie
Marchand d’intensité by Laurent Poliquin, published by L’Harmattan
Monstrance by Sarah Klassen, published by Turnstone Press
The Politics of Knives by Jonathan Ball, published by Coach House Books
Last year he was shortlisted for the John Hirsch award for Most Promising Writer as part of the 2012 Manitoba Book Awards. Balls polemical collection Clockfire offers a series of inventive, absurdist and occasionally horrific scripts for conceptual plays that could never be produced in real life. It’s an ingenious and highly entertaining read, and it’s fully worth the recognition it’s getting.