In a world where we're bombarded by words, it's important to honour those whose words make us think, and feel, and hope and go to places we never knew existed.
On May 4, the Lieutenant Governor of BC will present poet Lorna Crozier and children's writer Sarah Ellis with the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence.
"We've spent decades doing our lifework and hoping that it does matter," Crozier told the crowd at on Granville when the awards were announced at the BC Book Prizes party Wednesday night. "Your books may not sell but you keep doing it because you love the words and you hope there will be someone who wants to hear those words."
Crozier has published 17 books of poetry, most recently The Book of Marvels: A Compendium of Everyday Things. On April 20, she'll be reading from her with musical accompaniment by Astrolabe Music at VanDusen Gardens.
Vancouver-born Ellis won the 1991 Governor General's award for her novel Pick-Up Stickes and in 2007 won the $20,000 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for her novel Odd Man Out.
Writing makes her "alive to the world," leading her to notice things she might not otherwise pay attention to and giving her new perspectives.
The joy of writing for children is "you're dealing with people who are open to play and all its forms. The challenge is they are extremely honest critics."
Broadcaster and writer Grant Lawrence will host the awards BC Book Prizes gala at Government House in Victoria on May 4. Tickets for the ceremony and dinner are $125 each and are available at
