Billy-Ray Belcourt wins the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize

In September, the West Coast Book Prize Society announced the winners of the 2023 BC and Yukon Book Prizes. This included Billy-Ray Belcourt's A Minor Chorus, winner of the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize! Congratulations, Billy-Ray.

These prizes are awarded annually to recognize the achievements of BC and Yukon authors, illustrators and publishers. Award winners are selected through a juried system, with five finalists in each prize category, including the winner selected in each prize category.

Statement from the judges:

“Eden Robinson perfectly captured the essence of A Minor Chorus, when she said: “No one breaks your heart as elegantly as Billy-Ray Belcourt.” Belcourt’s story stays with you—it takes you to places you may not be ready to go, but must go. A Minor Chorus is a gorgeous and important piece of literature about connection and reconnection, belonging and being alone, and how our thoughts and perspectives evolve when we revisit our past and where we come from. Belcourt’s reflections on outward and inward exploration brim with emotional brilliance and clarity that will leave both writers and readers breathless.”