OTTAWA, March 1, 2011 - I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the winner of the 2011 Lionel Gelber Prize. It was announced today that the winner of this literary award--which honours non-fiction books written in English about issues of worldwide interest--is Shelagh D. Grant for her book Polar Imperative: A History of Arctic Sovereignty in North America. This year's other finalists were Nick Cullather, Ian Morris, Serhii M. Plokhy, and Doug Saunders.
Founded in 1989 by Canadian diplomat and author Lionel Gelber, the prize is presented annually by the Lionel Gelber Foundation, in partnership with the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and the Washington-based magazine Foreign Policy.
On behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada, I salute this year's winner and finalists for sharing their research, unique perspectives, and passion for writing with readers around the world. I also commend the Lionel Gelber Foundation and its partners on their continued support of non-fiction writing about significant global issues.
Codie Taylor
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788
