Policing, medical assistance in dying and smart cities are among the contentious topics covered by the finalists for a $60,000 public policy book prize.
The Writers’ Trust of Canada announced the five titles Wednesday shortlisted for the Balsillie Prize for Public Policy, which recognizes the best non-fiction book shaping Canadian discourse about policy issues. The winner will be named on Nov. 29.
Contenders include “The Last Doctor: Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying,” co-authored by Dr. Jean Marmoreo and Johanna Schneller, a first-hand account of end-of-life care, published by Viking Canada.
Also in the running are legal scholar Kent Roach’s “Canadian Policing: Why and How It Must Change,” published by Delve Books, and journalist John Lorinc’s “Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias,” from Coach House Books.
Kim Stanton, a lawyer and commissioner to the Mass Casualty Commission investigating the 2020 killing spree in Nova Scotia, is nominated for “Reconciling Truths: Reimagining Public Inquiries in Canada,” published by UBC Press.
Rounding out the short list is scientist and policy analyst Vaclav Smil’s “How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We’re Going,” published by Viking.