The Lieutenant-Governor’s
Medal for Historical Writing

Each year, the British Columbia Historical Federation invites submissions for its Annual Historical Writing Competition to authors of British Columbia History; and the winning author is awarded the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing.

Eligibility
    • To be eligible, a book must be about BC history and be published within the
       competition year
    • Non-fiction books representing any aspect of BC History are eligible.
    • Reprints or revisions of books are not eligible
    • Books may be submitted by authors or publishers
    • Deadline for submission is December 31 of the year in which the book was published

Submission Requirements
    • For information about making submissions contact Lieutenant-Governor's Award for Writing
    • Deadline: December 31st of the year in which the book was published
    • Authors/Publishers are required to submit three copies of their book
    • Books are to be accompanied by a letter containing the following:
       1. Title of the book submitted
       2. Author’s name and contact information
       3. Publisher’s name and contact information
       4. Selling price
    • Books entered become the property of the BC Historical Federation
    • By submitting books for this competition, the authors agree that the BC Historical
       Federation may use their name(s) in press releases and in its publications

Judging Criteria
Judges are looking for quality presentations and fresh material. Submissions will be evaluated in the following areas:
    • Scholarship: quality of research and documentation, comprehensiveness,
       objectivity and accuracy
    • Presentation: organization, clarity, illustrations and graphics
    • Accessibility: readability and audience appeal

Publicity
All winners will receive publicity and an invitation to the Award’s Banquet at the Federation’s annual conference in May following the year of publication.

Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal and Other Awards
The BC Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing will be awarded together with $600 to the author whose book makes the most significant contribution to the history of British Columbia. The 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $400 and $200 respectively. Certificates of Honourable Mention may be awarded to other books as recommended by the judges.

Historical Note
A proposal to initiate a BC history writing competition was approved at the Federation’s annual conference in 1983 and the Lieutenant Governor, as Honorary Patron, agreed to the awarding of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing. On five occasions His/Her Honour has presented this medal: Victoria (1989), Richmond (2001), Prince George (2003), Victoria (2007), and Nelson (2009).

Awards for 2009
Winner: Andrew Scott, Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names: A Complete Reference to                Coastal British Columbia.
2nd Place: Masako Fukawa, Spirit of the Nikkei Fleet: BC’s Japanese Canadian Fishermen.
3rd Place: Marie Elliott, Fort St. James and New Caledonia: Where British Columbia Began.
Honourable Mentions:
        • Wayne Norton, Women on Ice: The Early Years of Women’s Hockey in                                  Western Canada.
        • Richard Somerset Mackie, Mountain Timber: The Comox Logging Company in the                  Vancouver Island Mountains.
        • Graeme Pole, Gravity, Steam and Steel: an Illustrated Railway History of Rogers                  Pass.

Past Winners