The BC and Yukon Book Prizes’ 2025 shortlists have been unveiled, and a local author has made the list.
Nakusp’s Deirdre Simon Dore has been nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for her debut novel, A Reluctant Mother, published by Ronsdale Press of Vancouver.
The story follows Frida – an artist, wife, and damaged daughter. She and her husband Blake have chosen not to have children, due in part to her traumatic childhood. As Frida accepts the difficult decision and concentrates on her artistic career, a stranger knocks on the couple’s door with a child she insists is Blake’s daughter. Frida becomes lost in a maze of clashing emotions and wrong turns until she hits bottom – then finds her way home.
“The seed of the idea started when a woman knocked on my door and said she’d just hit a deer, and it was suffering in a ditch, and did I have a gun?” Dore told the Valley Voice. Add a child to the mix, and the story came about from there, she said.
Though this is Dore’s first novel, she’s been writing plays, poetry, and short fiction for many years. Dore wrote the Journey Prize-winning short story, ‘The Wise Baby,’ while completing an MFA in Creative Writing through the University of British Columbia. Her plays have been brought to life on stage, and she’s received other awards for her short fiction.
The Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize is awarded to the BC author of the best original work of literary fiction. The prize’s namesake is known for her unpretentious, lucid style.
“[Wilson’s] characters consistently struggle with the paradox of the human condition – the intense desire for personal freedom versus the strong need for responsible and harmonious integration with others,” reads the bio on the BC and Yukon Book Prizes’ website.
“I like how the characters started to take on their own personas,” said Dore of her cast of individuals in A Reluctant Mother. “They really came alive for me. That’s what keeps you going, I think: when the characters start to take over, and they tell you what they’re going to do and how they feel.”
Frida has been described as a polarizing character, with some readers loathing her and others admiring. Her mistakes give her depth, and speak to the contradictory nature of us all.
Looking forward, Dore is revisiting a play she hopes to mount somewhere, and is seeking a publisher for a collection of short fiction. She is also working on-and-off on another novel.
A Reluctant Mother can be purchased at the usual outlets, ordered from bookstores, or directly from the publisher.
Winners of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes, including the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, will be announced on September 21 during the 41st annual gala.
Visit deirdresimondore.com to get to know her further.
