Jacqueline Guest: Indspire 2012 Arts Award Recipient

Yesterday, Indspire (formerly the National Indigenous Achievement Foundation) announced the recipients of its annual awards which recognize outstanding contributions by Indigenous people in Canada.  Ten of the fourteen awards are dedicated to career achievements, and this year, the recipient of the Indspire Award in the field of the Arts is Canadian children's author, Jacqueline Guest.

Jacqueline Guest has penned an impressive collection of seventeen books of historical, young adult and sports fiction.

Her most recent book, Outcast of River Falls (Coteau, 2012) is the sequel to her highly successful historical novel, Belle of Batoche (Orca, 2004).  Both books focus on the Métis and the discrimination and wrongs perpetrated against them within the context of the late 1800's.

Her book, Ghost Messages (Coteau, 2011) won a Moonbeam Gold Medal for Pre-teen Historical Fiction, and was nominated for a Silver Birch award.

Two of Jacqueline Guest's sports novels, Triple Threat (Lorimer, 2011) and Free Throw (Lorimer, 2011) were awarded two of the four 2012 American Indian Youth Literature Awards from the American Indian Library Association of the American Library Association.

The accolades for Jacqueline Guest and her contribution to children's literature and promotion of First Nations, Métis and Inuit history and culture are well warranted. Check out her website at http://www.jacquelineguest.com/ for complete details about her books, presentations, and events.

Congratulations, Jacqueline Guest!