TORONTO, October 30, 2024 — Gregory Belton, Chair of the Board of the Donner Canadian Foundation, announced today the jury for the 27th annual Donner Prize, the award for the best public policy book by a Canadian.
With the retirement of past Jury Chair Louise Fréchette, André Beaulieu takes on the role of Chair. Beaulieu has served as Senior Vice-President, Corporate Services for BCE since 2015. He sits on the boards of the SCALE.AI, Azrieli Foundation, Equitas, CORIM, the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Public Policy Forum. He is also a co-founder of the Banff Forum.
New to the jury this year is Antonia Maioni. She is a Professor in the School of Population and Global Health at McGill University, and the 2023-24 William Lyon Mackenzie King Visiting Professor in the Canada Program at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
Returning jurors include Dr. Jack M. Mintz, the President’s Fellow of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, Maureen O’Neil, chair of the board of WaterAid International, Neil Desai, executive vice-president with Viral Nation, and Dr. Frederick Wien, Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University, and former Deputy Director of Research at the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
The Foundation is grateful to departing jurors Louise Fréchette and Karen Restoule for their contributions to the Donner Prize over their years of service.
The Donner Canadian Foundation, one of Canada’s oldest foundations, created the prize to encourage and honour the best public policy thinking, writing, and research by a Canadian, and the role it plays in determining the well-being of Canadians.
The deadline for submissions for this year’s prize is November 30, 2024, for books published between January 1, and December 31, 2024.
The shortlist will be announced in Spring 2025, and the winner will be announced in May 2025. See www.donnerbookprize.com for complete rules regarding eligibility and submission procedures.
For further information, please contact:
Sheila Kay
647-391-9829
sheila@naylorandassociates.com
www.donnerbookprize.com
SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2024-2025 DONNER PRIZE
Toronto, October 17, 2024 — Gregory Belton, Chair of the Board of the Donner Canadian Foundation, today announced that submissions are open for the 2024-2025 Donner Prize. Now in its 27th year, the Prize honours the best public policy books by Canadian writers.
“Our goal is to expand the audience for public policy ideas and increase their reception,” says Belton. “That’s the purpose of this prize; to elevate important ideas that address Canada’s environmental, economic, social, and cultural challenges, and to shine attention on the recommended solutions. We look forward to this year’s selections.”
The winner of the Donner Prize will receive $60,000, and the other shortlisted titles will each receive $7,500.
The Donner Canadian Foundation, one of Canada’s oldest foundations, created the prize in 1998 to encourage and honour the best public policy thinking, writing, and research by a Canadian, and the role it plays in determining the well-being of Canadians. Books written or co-written by a Canadian, in either French or English, are eligible.
The 2023 Donner Prize was awarded to Michael Byers and Aaron Boley, for Who Owns Outer Space? International Law, Astrophysics, and the Sustainable Development of Space, published by Cambridge University Press.
On winning the Prize, Byers and Boley said “The Donner Prize validated our unique collaboration, between an international lawyer and an astrophysicist, as we seek to inform national and international public policy concerning humanity’s rapid expansion into outer space. We are grateful to the Donner Prize jury for seeing the value in taking public policy research to the cosmos.”
The deadline for submissions for this year’s prize is November 30, 2024, for books published between January 1, and December 31, 2024. The shortlist will be announced in Spring 2025, and the winner will be announced in May 2025. See www.DonnerBookPrize.com for complete rules regarding eligibility and submission procedures.
For further information, please contact:
Sheila Kay
647-391-9829
sheila@naylorandassociates.com
www.donnerbookprize.com
2023 Donner Prize awarded to Michael Byers and Aaron Boley for WHO OWNS OUTER SPACE?
TORONTO, May 8, 2024 – The winner of the 2023 Donner Prize was announced this evening by Gregory Belton, Chair of the Donner Canadian Foundation, during a gala dinner in Toronto.
Michael Byers and Aaron Boley were awarded the $60,000 Donner Prize for Who Owns Outer Space? International Law, Astrophysics, and the Sustainable Development of Space, published by Cambridge University Press.
In Who Owns Outer Space, Byers and Boley, an international lawyer and an astrophysicist, identify and explore the challenges of humanity’s rapid expansion into Space. They propose actionable solutions and explain the essential aspects of Space science, international law, and global governance in a fully transdisciplinary and highly accessible way.
The Donner Prize Jury praised the book for “providing a grounding in a field of law and policy, which is essential to the age we live in. The topic is vital, the analysis is thorough, and the finer points of law are meticulously explained. There is a clarity and “down to earth” quality to the writing, which make this a very accessible book on an “out of this world” subject.”
The other nominated titles, each of which will receive $7,500, are:
The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better by Abdi Aidid and Benjamin Alarie (University of Toronto Press)
Pandemic Panic: How Canadian Government Responses to COVID-19 Changed Civil Liberties Forever by Joanna Baron and Christine Van Geyn (Optimum Publishing International)
The Privacy Fallacy: Harm and Power in the Information Economy, by Ignacio Cofone (Cambridge University Press)
Wrongfully Convicted: Guilty Pleas, Imagined Crimes, and What Canada Must Do to Safeguard Justice by Kent Roach (Simon & Schuster Canada)
The winner of the Donner Prize was selected by the six-member jury: Louise Fréchette (Jury Chair), Neil Desai, Jack Mintz, Maureen O’Neil, Karen Restoule and Frederic Wien.
Jury Chair Fréchette commented “The mandate of the Donner Prize is to recognize and reward the best public policy thinking, writing and research by a Canadian. We also strive to bring forward books that will assist policy makers in their decision-making, on the vast array of challenges we face as Canadians. This year’s shortlisted books cover policy topics that could be on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper!”
The Donner Prize, established in 1998, annually rewards excellence and innovation in Canadian public policy thinking, writing and research. In bestowing this award, the Donner Canadian Foundation seeks to broaden policy debates, increase general awareness of the importance of policy decision-making and make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse.
For more information, please contact Sheila Kay:
647-391-9829 Sheila@naylorandassociates.com
Visit us at www.donnerbookprize.com
2023 DONNER PRIZE SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED
Toronto, April 11, 2024 – Gregory Belton, Chair of the Donner Canadian Foundation, today announced the shortlist for the 2023 Donner Prize, the award recognizing the best public policy book by a Canadian.
“The aim of the Donner Prize is to shine a light on books advancing a thoughtful perspective on policy issues facing our society and governments today, and to spur debate on these matters among policymakers and the public.
Belton continued, “The six Donner Prize jurors have reviewed a field of over 80 books submitted by 32 publishers, in English and French, and have brought forward a shortlist of five books – the best of the best. These books all address critical, and rapidly changing, areas of concern for policymakers and those engaged with good governance today. Artificial Intelligence in the courtroom; pandemic responses; quite literally – who owns outer space; who has access to our digital information and how can we control it; and Canada’s shameful record on wrongful conviction. These books all contribute to the national debate of headline issues. We thank the jury for bringing these books to our attention.”
Louise Fréchette, Jury Chair, stated that “the jury debates and balances books that deal with subjects of policy concerns with the books’ ability to outline the challenges and deliver concrete policy recommendations, while being accessible to an interested reader. This year’s shortlisted books should be of interest to policymakers and booklovers alike.”
The prestigious Donner Prize, founded in 1998, annually rewards excellence and innovation in public policy writing by Canadians. In bestowing this award, the Donner Canadian Foundation seeks to broaden policy debates, and to make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse, all of which will contribute to an even stronger and more inclusive Canadian democracy. Now in its 26th year, the grand prize was last year increased to $60,000 for the winning book.
This year’s Donner Prize shortlist titles were selected from books published during the calendar year 2023. The winning title will be awarded $60,000, while each of the four other nominated titles will receive $7,500.
The 2023 Donner Prize finalists are:
The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better, by Abdi Aidid and Benjamin Alarie (University of Toronto Press)
Pandemic Panic: How Canadian Government Responses to COVID-19 Changed Civil Liberties Forever by Joanna Baron and Christine Van Geyn (Optimum Publishing International)
Who Owns Outer Space? International Law, Astrophysics, and the Sustainable Development of Space by Michael Byers and Aaron Boley (Cambridge University Press)
The Privacy Fallacy: Harm and Power in the Information Economy, by Ignacio Cofone (Cambridge University Press)
Wrongfully Convicted: Guilty Pleas, Imagined Crimes, and What Canada Must Do to Safeguard Justice by Kent Roach (Simon & Schuster Canada)
The 2023 Donner Prize will be presented at a gala dinner in Toronto on May 8, 2024.
The shortlisted authors are available for interviews.
For more information, please contact Sheila Kay
sheila@naylorandassociation.com | 647 391 9829
For more information, visit www.donnerbookprize.com
SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2023 DONNER PRIZE
Toronto, October 2, 2023 — Gregory Belton, Chair of the Board of the Donner Canadian Foundation, today announced that submissions are open for the 2023 Donner Prize. Now in its 26th year, the Prize honours the best public policy books by Canadian writers.
“The objective of the Donner Prize has always been to encourage research and discussion about Canadian public policy issues,” says Belton. “It’s been fascinating to look back over the shortlists and winners of the Prize’s history, and see how the Donner Prize has forecast, reflected upon, and analyzed the essential policy issues of the time. From climate, defense, natural resources, Indigenous relations, trade, justice, policing, banking, to the essence of government itself, the Donner Prize has thrown a spotlight on these issues. We look forward to this year’s selections.”
The winner of the Donner Prize will receive $60,000, and the other shortlisted titles will each receive $7,500.
The Donner Canadian Foundation, one of Canada’s oldest foundations, created the prize in 1998 to encourage and honour the best public policy thinking, writing, and research by a Canadian, and the role it plays in determining the well-being of Canadians. Books written or co-written by a Canadian, in either French or English, are eligible.
The 2022 Donner Prize was awarded to Ryan Manucha for Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada’s Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
On winning the Prize for his first book, Manucha said “The Donner Prize serves Canadians as a facilitator of policy advancement, helping to challenge conventional orthodoxies and the status quo by supporting rigorous, solutions-oriented thinking. Winning the Donner Prize was not only an absolute honour, but it has also augmented my ability to make a tangible difference.”
This year, Donner Jury Chair Louise Fréchette welcomes Neil Desai as a juror. Currently EVP of Technology at Viral Nation, Desai is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation. He serves on the Board of Public Policy Forum and has previously served the Government of Canada in senior roles in Global Affairs Canada and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Frėchette welcomes returning jurors Jack Mintz, Maureen O’Neil, Karen Restoule, and Frederick Wien.
The deadline for submissions for this year’s prize is November 30, 2023, for books published between January 1, and December 31, 2023. The shortlist will be announced in Spring 2024, and the winner will be announced in May 2024. See www.DonnerBookPrize.com for complete rules regarding eligibility and submission procedures.
For further information, please contact:
Sheila Kay
647-391-9829
sheila@naylorandassociates.com
www.donnerbookprize.com
25th Anniversary Donner Prize awarded to Ryan Manucha for Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups
TORONTO, May 18, 2023 – The winner of the 2022 Donner Prize was announced this evening by Gregory Belton, Chair of the Donner Canadian Foundation, during a gala dinner in Toronto.
Ryan Manucha was awarded the $60,000 Donner Prize for Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada’s Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Booze, Cigarettes and Constitutional Dust-ups skillfully weaves together an understanding of international and domestic trade policy, a review of legal cases, history, and, refreshingly, considerations of the actual practical operations of tribunals and secretariats.
The Donner Prize Jury praised the book for “making internal free trade lively with clear explanations and relevant anecdotes, an excellent review of the development of internal trade policy, as well as guidance on future policy developments in the years to come. And, as importantly, a compelling and enjoyable read!”
The other nominated titles, each of which will receive $7,500, are:
TORONTO, May 18, 2023 – The winner of the 2022 Donner Prize was announced this evening by Gregory Belton, Chair of the Donner Canadian Foundation, during a gala dinner in Toronto.
Ryan Manucha was awarded the $60,000 Donner Prize for Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada’s Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Booze, Cigarettes and Constitutional Dust-ups skillfully weaves together an understanding of international and domestic trade policy, a review of legal cases, history, and, refreshingly, considerations of the actual practical operations of tribunals and secretariats.
The Donner Prize Jury praised the book for “making internal free trade lively with clear explanations and relevant anecdotes, an excellent review of the development of internal trade policy, as well as guidance on future policy developments in the years to come. And, as importantly, a compelling and enjoyable read!”
The other nominated titles, each of which will receive $7,500, are:
Cooperation and Social Justice by Joseph Heath (University of Toronto Press)
Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias by John Lorinc (Coach House Books)
The Next Age of Uncertainty: How the World Can Adapt to a Riskier Future by Stephen Poloz (Allen Lane Canada)
Canadian Policing: Why and How It Must Change by Kent Roach (Delve Books)
The winner of the Donner Prize was selected by the six-member jury: Louise Fréchette (Jury Chair), Jean-Marie Dufour, Jack Mintz, Maureen O’Neil, Karen Restoule and Frederic Wien.
Jury Chair Fréchette commented “For twenty-five years now, the Donner Prize has been fostering and recognizing the research and analysis of the public policy questions that affect our daily lives, both personally and as a nation. We also strive to bring forward books that will assist policy makers in their decision-making, as well as being accessible to a wider readership, to extend the conversation. We are pleased that all the books on this year’s shortlist amply satisfy these criteria.”
The Donner Prize, established in 1998, annually rewards excellence and innovation in Canadian public policy thinking, writing and research. In bestowing this award, the Donner Canadian Foundation seeks to broaden policy debates, increase general awareness of the importance of policy decision-making and make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse.
For more information, please contact Sheila Kay:
647-391-9829 Sheila@naylorandassociates.com
Visit us at www.donnerbookprize.com
DONNER PRIZE ANNOUNCES THE 2022 SHORTLIST
25th ANNIVERSARY PRIZE NOW $60,000
TORONTO, April 11, 2023 – Gregory Belton, Chair of the Donner Canadian Foundation, today announced the shortlist for the 2022 Donner Prize, the award recognizing the best public policy book by a Canadian.
“As we celebrate the extraordinary 25th anniversary of this great prize, it’s wonderful to look back on the 124 books of public policy that the Prize has shone a spotlight on with its shortlists and winners. These books, authors, and ideas have become part of the national conversation.”
Belton continued, “Meeting in person for the first time in three years, the Donner Prize Jury delved into the field of over 75 books submitted by 35 publishers, in English and French, and have brought forward a shortlist of five books – the best of the best. These books cover the waterfront in terms of policy issues facing Canada today – social justice, urbanism, trade, economic uncertainty, and modern policing. We thank the jury for bringing these books to our attention, for further debate.”
Louise Fréchette, Jury Chair, stated that “the jury deliberations covered the importance of the topic, soundness of the argument, relevance of policy recommendations, and, as importantly, readability. With several decades of public service history amongst the jurors, we also looked at the books through a lens that asked ‘does this book contribute to the investigation and analysis of the policy dilemmas we face as a society and a nation?’ I’m delighted to report that all these books more than met that bar.”
The prestigious Donner Prize, founded in 1998, annually rewards excellence and innovation in public policy writing by Canadians. In bestowing this award, the Donner Canadian Foundation seeks to broaden policy debates, and to make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse, all of which will contribute to an even stronger and more inclusive Canadian democracy. In this 25th anniversary year, the grand prize has been increased to $60,000.
This year’s Donner Prize shortlist titles were chosen from books published during the calendar year 2022. The winner will receive $60,000 while each of the four other nominated authors will receive $7,500.
The 2022 Donner Prize finalists are:
Cooperation and Social Justice by Joseph Heath (University of Toronto Press)
Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias by John Lorinc (Coach House Books)
Booze, Cigarettes and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada’s Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade by Ryan Manucha (McGill-Queen’s University Press)
The Next Age of Uncertainty: How the World Can Adapt to a Riskier Future by Stephen Poloz (Allen Lane Canada)
Canadian Policing: Why and How It Must Change by Kent Roach (Delve Books)
The 2022 Donner Prize will be presented at a gala dinner in Toronto on May 18, 2023.
The shortlisted authors are available for interviews.
For more information, please contact Sheila Kay.
sheila@naylorandassociation.com | 647 391 9829
For more information, visit www.donnerbookprize.com
TORONTO, November 14, 2022 — Gregory Belton, Chair of the Board of the Donner Canadian Foundation, announced today the jury for the 25th annual Donner Prize, the award for the best public policy book by a Canadian. He remarked that “during this special anniversary year, we are honoured that such an illustrious group of individuals will be bringing their experience and knowledge to the task of selecting the 25th Donner Prize shortlist and eventual winner!”
With the retirement of past Jury Chair David Dodge, Louise Fréchette takes on the Chair. Fréchette served as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1998 to 2006. She recently completed a term as Chair of Care International and is currently on the Board of the Global Leadership Foundation.
New to the jury this year is Maureen O’Neil, board chair of WaterAid International and a member of the boards of the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
Also joining the jury is Jack Mintz, the President’s Fellow of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, after serving as the Palmer Chair and founding Director of the School from 2008 to 2015. Mintz’s 2001 book Most Favoured Nation was shortlisted for the Donner Prize.
Returning jurors include Jean-Marie Dufour, O.C., O.Q., the William Dow Professor of Economics at McGill University, Karen Restoule, CEO at Shared Value Solutions, an environmental and community development consulting firm supporting Indigenous communities, and Dr. Frederick Wien, Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University, and former Deputy Director of Research at the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
The Foundation is grateful to departing jurors David Dodge and Brenda Eaton for their contributions to the Donner Prize over their years of service.
The Donner Canadian Foundation, one of Canada’s oldest foundations, created the prize to encourage and honour the best public policy thinking, writing, and research by a Canadian, and the role it plays in determining the well-being of Canadians.
The deadline for submissions for this year’s prize is November 30, 2022, for books published between January 1, and December 31, 2022.
The shortlist will be announced in Spring 2023, and the winner will be announced in May 2023. See www.DonnerBookPrize.com for complete rules regarding eligibility and submission procedures.
For further information, please contact:
Sheila Kay
647-391-9829
sheila@naylorandassociates.com
www.donnerbookprize.com