Andrew Battershill, Robin Richardson & Barry Callaghan win 2019 ReLit Awards

Andrew Battershill, Robin Richardson andBarry Callaghan are the winners of the2019 ReLit Awards.

The ReLit Awards honour the best Canadian books published by independent presses.

Battershill won the novel category forMarry, Bang, Kill.

Marry, Bang, Killis a crime thriller involving a thief named TommyMarloand the trouble he gets into after stealing from thedaughter of a high-ranking member of a motorcycle gang.

Battershill is a writer from Vancouver. He is also the author ofPillow, whichappeared on the2016 longlistfor theScotiabankGiller Prize.

• Why Andrew Battershill ignores the genre debate when writing crime fiction

Richardson won the poetry category forSit How You Want.

Strong female voices open up revealing narratives of trauma and pain inSit How You Want. The collectiondeploys a sharp poetic wit to address themes of abuse, anxiety and powerlessness.It was also a finalist for the2019 Trillium Book Award for poetry.

Richardson is a poet from Toronto. She is also the author of the poetry collections Try Not to Get Too Attached and Lighten Up, You're Internal.

• Calling all poets! The CBC Poetry Prize is now open

Callaghan won the short fiction category forAll the Lonely People.

All the Lonely People is a collection of short stories that feature a wide array of original, compelling characters.

Callaghan is a novelist and poet from Toronto. He is the author of several books, including The Black Queen Stories,The Way the Angel Spreads Her Wings andA Kiss Is Still A Kiss. He is the publisher of theliterary magExile and is the sonof late Canadian novelist and short story writer,Morley Callaghan.

• Barry Callaghan on fears, love and the merits of drinking a glass of wine every day

The prize was first founded in 2000 byNewfoundlandfilmmaker and authorKenneth J. Harvey. The year 2017 marked the last year the prizes were previously awarded.

The ReLit Awards are now being managed by Harvey's daughter, Katherine Alexandra Harvey.

To bring the awards up to date, the prizes will announce the shortlists and winners for 2018-2021 in April, with each week in the month being devoted to a single year.

Winners receive the ReLitRing, which consists of four dials that are inscribed with the alphabet. However, Harvey says financial donations are needed to ensure this tradition continues.

Next week, the 2020shortlist and winners will be announced.

Past winners include Bill Gaston,Souvankham Thammavongsa, Lisa Moore, Ivan Coyote, Megan Gail Coles and Suzette Mayr.