Ross King, "Mad Enchantment," 2017
Monday, March 6, 2017 in the Sovereign Ballroom of downtown Toronto’s Omni King Edward Hotel, author Ross King (Oxford, England) was named the winner of the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize for his book Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies, published by Bond Street Books.
Noreen Taylor, Prize founder and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, announced the winner’s name before a packed audience of invited guests, publishers, and media, and presented him with a cheque for $25,000 and a specially commissioned crystal award, designed by Toronto graphic designer Peter Enneson. The remaining finalists each received $2,000 and all received extensive publicity.
Prior to the winner announcement, each of the prize finalists — Max Eisen (Toronto, Ontario) shortlisted for By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz, published by HarperCollins Canada; Matti Friedman (Jerusalem) shortlisted for Pumpkinflowers: An Israeli Soldier’s Story, published by Signal/McClelland & Stewart; Ross King (Oxford, England) shortlisted for Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies, published by Bond Street Books; Marc Raboy (Montreal, QC) shortlisted for Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World, published by Oxford University Press; and Diane Schoemperlen (Kingston, ON) shortlisted for This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Love, Prison, and Other Complications, published by HarperCollins Canada — were individually congratulated on stage by jurors Colin McAdam, John English, and Ann MacMillan. They were each presented with a leather-bound copy of their shortlisted book, created by Felton Bookbinding of Georgetown, Ontario.
In late March Ross King will announce the 2017 winner of the RBC Taylor Emerging Author award. He or she will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under Ross King.
Source: RBC Taylor Prize