Susan Sanford Blades, Kristyn Dunnion & Simina Banu win 2021 ReLit Awards

Susan Sanford Blades, Kristyn DunnionandSimina Banuare the winners of the2021 ReLit Awards.

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

Blades won the novel category forFake It So Real.

Fake It So Real is a novel set in the punk scene in 1980s British Columbia. In 1983, Gwen meets Damien, a leader of a band. They get together, but after having two kids and spending seven years together, Damien leaves Gwen, leaving her to raise their two daughters on her own.

Blades is a writer from Victoria. Fake It So Real is her first novel. It was also shortlisted for the2021 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.

• Susan Sandford Blades discussesher new novel, set in the punk scene of the 1980s

Dunnion won the short fiction category forStoop City.

Stoop City is a short story collection about a cast of colourful characters that comprise a gritty, unique community.

Dunnion is a writer and musician from Ontario. She is also the author of the novelsThe Dirt ChroniclesandTarry This Night.

Banu won the poetry category forPop.

Pop explores love, and what comes after. Banuplays with structure, lyricism and visuals in thisoriginaland humorous collection.

Banuis a poet from Montreal. Pop is her first poetry collection.

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

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.

The 2020shortlist and winners will be the final set of announcements. The winners for 2018 and 2019 were announced earlier in April.

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