Dorset woman up for Governor General’s award

Alego, a children’s book about a young Inuk girl who goes out to gather clams with her grandmother.”/>
Ningeokuluk Teevee of Cape Dorset is a finalist for a 2009 Governor General literary award in recognition for her illustrations in Alego, a children’s book about a young Inuk girl who goes out to gather clams with her grandmother.

Cape Dorset printmaker Ningeokuluk Teevee is among 75 finalists in the running for 2009 Governor General’s literary awards.

Teevee, 46, was nominated for her illustrations for Alego, 
a recently-published bilingual children’s book about a young Inuk girl who goes out to gather clams with her grandmother.

“Ningeokuluk Teevee’s pencil drawings express beautifully a manner of dress, food, land, air, cold, warmth, surprise and age. The storytelling is a heart speaking to a heart, capturing the spiritual relationship that a child has with the world she lives in. This gentle book will warm hearts,” says an Oct. 14 news release from the Canada Council.

The award finalists include authors, illustrators and translators from ages 27 to 78.

The English and French awards are in the categories of fiction, non‑fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature and translation.

In total, 70 books were shortlisted out of 1,541 books submitted for this year’s awards.

Each winner will receive $25,000 and a specially-bound copy of the winning book.

Non-winning finalists will receive $1,000 in recognition of their selection as finalists.

The winners will be announced on Nov. 17 at 10 am at La Grande Bibliothèque de Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec on 475 Boulevard De Maisonneuve East in Montreal.

Michaëlle Jean, Canada’s governor general, will present the 2009 Literary Awards on Nov. 26, at 6 p.m. at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.