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Cowichan author wins Canadian Book Club Award

Cowichan Bay’s Kate Gateley has taken the prize for tops in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre
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Cowichan Bay author Kate Gateley. (Courtesy of Kate Gateley)

The Canadian Book Club Award winners for 2022 have been announced and Cowichan Bay’s Kate Gateley has taken the prize for tops in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre.

“Thirteen authors will be stepping into the new year with news that their book has been voted as one of the best books of the year, and we couldn’t be more proud of the diversity this list represents,” said Kristain Oliveria-Barnes of the Canadian Book Club Awards.

Oliveria-Barnes said hundreds of submissions were received for this year’s largest readers’ choice awards in Canada, doubling the number of genres from the 2021 awards and tripling the number of submissions received in years prior.

Gateley, who has recently made headlines for the video trailers she creates for her books, earned an award for her most recent title, Tides of the Soverign — Book one of The Lost Wells Trilogy.

She had been nominated alongside Spindrifts by Anne-Marie Mawhiney and Percivious Origins by JJ Cook & AJ Cook.

“I’m both humbled and thrilled to be included among so many other talented authors as a 2022 winner,” said Gateley. “Not only does this competition value all forms of publishing, but it also connects authors to the most important review demographic of all — the readers. And that feels awesome.”

According to a media release, “The Canadian Book Club Awards became an award that catered to the savvy, future-thinking readers of Canadian literature; bringing forward a readers-first approach that celebrates authors of all genres of the industry, regardless of who their publisher is or what their bookstore sales numbers are.”

Gateley said the timing is incredible.

“With the second novel of my trilogy, Mantle of the World Ruler, releasing in February 2023, it’s such an affirming moment on my path,” says Kate. “My hope is for readers to use the CBCA winners list as a springboard to discover other incredible Canadian titles.”

Last year Gateley collaborated with photographer Ashley Marston (Ashley Marston Photography), and filmmaking duo Mathew Gladman and Arianna Augustine (Keywork Productions) to create a book trailer and visual gallery for the second novel in The Lost Wells Trilogy, Mantle of the World Ruler.

“It’s not every day that a project like this comes along. I was thrilled and honoured when Kate asked me to be a part of bringing her vision to life through my photography,” Marston said. “What an incredible way to provide a visual for the readers that have been curated by the author herself.”

Not only did Gateley want impactful photography for each of her three novels, but she also craved an epic film representation — with a Cowichan twist.

“For me as a visual storyteller, collaborating with Kate and translating her written words into powerful visuals that capture the essence of these novels is something that I’ve really been able to dig my teeth into. What an amazing experience it has been to step into the world that Kate is building,” Gladman said.

Trailers for both books one and two can be viewed on Kate’s website (https://kategateley.com/videos/) as well as on Kate’s Instagram (@kategateleyauthor), and YouTube. Photography and filming for the trailer for the final installment of the Lost Wells Trilogy have begun.

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‘Tides of the Sovereign’ book cover. (Courtesy of Kate Gateley)


Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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