2007 Winner:

Gargoyles, an edgy collection of short stories, employs gargoyles as signposts to represent various extremes of human emotions. The book was also a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Gaston is the author of several much-praised story collections and novels, including Sex is Red, The Good Body, Mount Appetite and Sointula. His new novel, The Order of Good Cheer, will be published by House of Anansi in fall 2008. Gaston lives with his wife, Dede Crane, and family in Victoria, British Columbia.

The independent jury who selected the winner, included Dave Hill, bookseller for Munro’s Books; Jennifer Rowan, children’s librarian for the Greater Victoria Public Library; and George McWhirter, poet, novelist, short story writer, and University of British Columbia Creative Writing department head until his retirement. Previous Victoria Butler Book Prize winners include Mark Zuehlke, Terence Young and Kevin Paterson.

2007 Finalists: