FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, May 15, 2014—The Editors’ Association of Canada (EAC) has announced the finalists for the 30th annual Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence.
The 30th annual Tom Fairley Award recognizes an editor’s outstanding contribution to a work published in Canada in English or French in 2013. The $2,000 grand prize will be presented at the awards banquet of EAC’s 2014 conference in Toronto on June 7. EAC is also pleased to announce that, in recognition of their exceptional editorial performance, the other finalists will receive a cash prize of $500 each.
SHORT LIST
Trevor J. Adams of Prospect, Nova Scotia, for Halifax Magazine (Metro Guide Publishing)
Adams is an editor with a passion for his city and its stories, and his energy shines through in his work. He is described by one judge as “a natural leader and mentor with a smart, strategic approach to the magazine,” so it’s obvious why Halifax Magazine’s contributors say they do their best work under his guidance. The judges were impressed by his support for new writers and his dedication to growing and developing the publishing industry in Nova Scotia.
Peter Midgley of Edmonton, Alberta, for The Last Temptation of Bond by Kimmy Beach (The University of Alberta Press)
Editing poetry requires skill, subtlety, precision and heart, and Midgley brought all of these and more to this project. “Not just any editor could have taken on this project,” said one judge. Midgley’s suggestions to the author required an in-depth knowledge of topics ranging from Fleming’s James Bond to modernist erotica, new wave cinema and music. The judges cited Midgley’s gift for editing with kindness, inspiration and enthusiasm for enabling the author to grow creatively and “write the hell out of this book.”
Paul Payson of Edmonton, Alberta, for The Peace-Athabasca Delta: Portrait of a Dynamic Ecosystem by Kevin P. Timoney (The University of Alberta Press)
This was a large, complex, 600-page project comprising 20 years of research and a huge number of tables, maps, images and captions. Payson not only managed and edited the project, he collaborated with the author to write the index, proofread the book, and researched and developed his own scientific academic style. “He exhibited great tenacity, patience and expertise,” said one judge. “And it paid off with a book that is not only educational, but also an enjoyable, accessible read.”
The judges for the 30th annual Tom Fairley Award are respected Canadian editors. Heather Ball is an editor and published author, who has worked in-house and freelance for over 10 years. Andrea Douglas is a freelance editor and indexer. Before taking the leap and starting her own business, she was senior editor at Colborne Communications, and worked at an educational publisher and a feminist press. Greg Ioannou is a teacher and freelance editor and writer. He is a founding member of EAC, and is currently the president and publisher of Iguana Books and CEO of Tryst Books.
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About the Editors’ Association of Canada
Additional information about the Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence is available on the EAC website.
The Editors’ Association of Canada/Association canadienne des réviseurs began in 1979 as the Freelance Editors’ Association of Canada to promote and maintain high standards of editing. EAC is the voice of editors in Canada, with more than 1,500 members, both salaried and freelance, who work in the corporate, technical, government, not-for-profit and publishing sectors. EAC’s professional development programs and services include professional certification, an annual conference, seminars, guidelines for fair pay and working conditions, and networking with other associations. EAC has six regional branches: British Columbia; Prairie Provinces; Saskatchewan; Toronto; National Capital Region; and Quebec/Atlantic Canada, as well as smaller branches (called twigs) in Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph, Ontario; Hamilton/Halton, Ontario; Kingston, Ontario; Nova Scotia; and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Media Contact
Michelle Ou
Communications Manager
Editors’ Association of Canada
Association canadienne des réviseurs
416 975-1379 / 1 866 226-3348
communications@editors.ca