Charlene Carr and David Huebert among winners of 2025 Nova Scotia and Atlantic Book Awards
The 2025 Nova Scotia and Atlantic Book Awards celebrated the outstanding literary achievements of authors from Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada. Managed by the Atlantic Book Awards Society, these prestigious awards recognize excellence in various categories including poetry, illustrated children’s books, adult fiction, and nonfiction. With a total value of over $55,000, the awards are adjudicated by independent juries who carefully select the winners.
Among the recipients of these esteemed awards were Charlene Carr and David Huebert. Charlene Carr’s novel, “We Rip the World Apart,” clinched the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction. The novel intricately weaves together the stories of Kareela, a biracial woman grappling with an unexpected pregnancy, her mother Evelyn, who emigrated from Jamaica to Canada, and her grandmother Violet. As secrets are revealed and choices made, the novel explores themes of identity, family, and legacy. Charlene Carr, a Toronto-raised writer now based in Nova Scotia, has authored several independently published works and gained recognition as a writer to watch by CBC Books in 2023.
David Huebert was awarded the prestigious $30,000 Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award for his novel “Oil People,” which was also shortlisted for the 2025 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. Set in southwestern Ontario, “Oil People” delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the impact of the oil industry. The novel juxtaposes the story of 13-year-old Jade Armbruster in 1987 with the narrative of Clyde Armbruster in 1862, exploring themes of heritage, environment, and power. David Huebert, a Halifax-based writer, has previously won the CBC Short Story Prize and The Walrus Poetry Prize for his compelling storytelling.
The 2025 Atlantic Book Award winners included Valerie Sherrard’s “Standing on Neptune,” which received the Ann Connor Brimer Award for Atlantic Canadian Children’s Literature, Chase Cormier’s “Mal,” winner of the APMA Best Atlantic-Published Book Award, and Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s “Island,” which took home the J. M. Abraham Atlantic Poetry Award. Sue Murtagh’s “We’re Not Rich” won the Reader’s Choice Award, showcasing the diverse range of talent in the region.
Many of the award-winning titles from 2025 are accessible in various formats through the Centre for Equitable Library Access website, ensuring that readers of all abilities can enjoy these exceptional works. Past winners of the Nova Scotia and Atlantic Book Awards include celebrated authors such as Michael Crummey, Tyler LeBlanc, Alison Taylor, Ami McKay, Marina Endicott, and Lucas Crawford, highlighting the rich literary heritage of the region.
With their thought-provoking narratives and captivating storytelling, Charlene Carr and David Huebert have made significant contributions to the literary landscape of Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada. Their award-winning works stand as testaments to the talent and creativity thriving in the region’s vibrant literary community.
