The shortlists for the 25th annual B.C. Book Prizes have been announced, with five finalists in each of the seven categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s lit, illustrated children’s lit, regional (for “the book that contributes most to the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia”), and the B.C. Booksellers’ Choice Award. Among the 35 lucky contestants are many we covered here in the Straight last year, including Steven Galloway, Patrick Lane, and Lee Henderson (fiction); Gabor Maté, Chris Wood, and Ronald Wright (nonfiction); Gillian Jerome and Brad Cran (regional); and Cathy Converse and Andrew Nikiforuk (B.C. Booksellers’ Choice Award).

The complete set of shortlists can be found here. The names of the winners will be revealed at the Lieutenant Governor’s B.C. Book Prizes Gala, to be held on April 25 at Vancouver’s Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel.