Author Dan Savard said it felt like he was at the Oscars when he walked across a West Vancouver ballroom to accept a B.C. Book Prize last week.
The recently retired Royal B.C. Museum curator won the Roderick Haig-Brown prize for his book Images from the Likeness House.
It took Savard five years to select the photos and write accompanying short essays for the book. It contains 310 images taken by both white and First Nations photographers as they documented aboriginal life between the 1860s and 1920 in the Pacific Northwest.
The book was published by the Royal B.C. Museum.
The 27th annual prizes were awarded at an April 21 gala at the Kay Meek Centre.
Savard said he didn’t have an acceptance speech written and was stunned when his name was announced.
“I just went up and tried to acknowledge everyone including the other nominees and was joking about it being a very nice award and that I’d have to have it framed.”
Seven other literary awards were given out at the event, hosted by comedians Bob Robertson and Linda Cullen.
Although five other Victoria-area authors were nominated for prizes in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature Savard was the only one to win.
The Roderick Haig-Brown award recognizes books that further the enjoyment and understanding of B.C.
It comes with a $2,000 cash prize.
vmoreau@oakbaynews.com