The Porcupine's Quill

Eric Ormsby wrote that ‘So assured and musical is the hand that shaped them that these poems tend to memorize themselves, as though they had always formed part of our experience.’ This is Sarah’s sixth full-length collection, marked by its humility, joy and philosophical elegance.

2004—A. M. Klein Prize for Poetry,
Shortlisted

‘In her first book Ramona Dearing has shown us her ability to almost effortlessly touch the core of what matters. She is a funny and serious writer, a writer who asks all the right questions while being smart enough to never pretend she owns the answers.’ -- Danuta Gleed award judges’ citation

2005—Winterset Award,
Shortlisted

2005—Danuta Gleed,
Runner-up

2004—Globe Top 100,
Commended

This book is a tribute to a real neighbourhood at a special point in time -- working class north Edmonton on the cusp of the oil boom. McGillis has drawn partly on figures from his own late 60s, early 70s childhood, including a maverick substitute teacher with a predilection for Eastern philosophy, a nine-year-old champion of civil rights, a chain-smoking ten-year-old son of anti-war radicals and baseball immortal Roberto Clemente.

2003—Globe Top 100,
Commended

2004—Stephen Leacock Award,
Shortlisted

Edward Gorey and Max Ernst meet Dinotopia in Wonderland.

This is a collection of fantastic etchings by artist Rudolf Kurz, a man of surreal imagination wonderful talent. Allison Sivak of the Canadian Book Review Annual writes, ‘As the evocative title suggests, Looking for Snails on a Sunday Afternoon is about spending time focusing on the disturbing and pleasurable images inside.’

2006—Der Schoenste Bucher aus Aller Welt,
Shortlisted

2005—Alcuin Society,
Commended

2004—Unisource Litho Award,
Winner