Premier Christy Clark and British Columbia Achievement chair Keith Mitchell are pleased to announce that Modris Eksteins is the winner of the 2013 British Columbia National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction for "Solar Dance: Genius, Forgery and the Crisis of Truth in the Modern Age."

Professor emeritus of history at the University of Toronto, Modris Eksteins was presented with the $40,000 prize by Hon. Ben Stewart, Minister of Citizens' Services and Open Government, at a ceremony in Vancouver that also celebrated finalists George Bowering for "Pinboy: A Memoir," Robert R. Fowler for "A Season in Hell: My 130 Days in the Sahara with Al Qaeda" and Candace Savage for "A Geography of Blood: Unearthing Memory from a Prairie Landscape."

"The common thread that runs through all great non-fiction is an exploratory genius and great intellectual curiosity," said Premier Clark. "This year's finalists each contributed something indelible to our cultural landscape. I congratulate Modris Eksteins and all the finalists for their remarkable work."

Now in its ninth year, British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is one of Canada's major national book prizes and the only one to originate in B.C. The annual award is presented by the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, an independent foundation established by the Province in 2003 to celebrate excellence in the arts, humanities, enterprise, and community service.

"For nearly a decade, the British Columbia Achievement Foundation's National Book Award has testified to the talent of Canada's foremost non-fiction writers," said chair Keith Mitchell. "This year's finalists and winner are now worthy members of a very distinguished group of writers who have been celebrated by the BC Award program."

The 2013 jury panel members for the BC National Award are Paul Whitney, former city librarian at Vancouver Public Library until his retirement at the end of 2010 and now consults and teaches on libraries, publishing, and related public policy issues; Martin Levin, long-time books editor of the Globe and Mail; and Jan Whitford, whose history in publishing has included positions as editorial director, literary agent and university lecturer.

The jury cited "Solar Dance" as a "fascinating work of cultural history, and a provocative analysis of the roots of the modern era as it developed in the social and political turmoil of the early 20th century."

Background information about British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction is available at: http://www.bcachievement.com/nonfiction

Media Contacts:

Mike Morton
Office of the Premier
250 588-8380

Nora Newlands
British Columbia Achievement Foundation
604 618-6949