Richard Van Camp’s Beast - Finalist for the 2026 Alberta Literary Awards
Douglas & McIntyre is thrilled to announce that Beast by Richard Van Camp, is a finalist for the Alberta Literary Award’s R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature. The award is sponsored by Under the Arch Youth Foundation.
Richard Van Camp will be reading, along with other Alberta Literary Awards finalists, on Sunday May 3, 2026 from 2-4 pm MT at Audrey’s Books in Edmonton Alberta Literary Awards Finalist Readings (Edmonton) – Writers' Guild of Alberta
The R. Ross Annet Award for Children’s Literature finalists are:
Takedown — Ali Bryan (DCB Young Readers)
No Purchase Necessary — Maria Marianayagam (HarperCollins)
Beast — Richard Van Camp (Douglas & McIntyre)
Beast is the latest feat of storytelling magic by renowned author Richard Van Camp (member of the Dogrib (Tłįchǫ) Dene Nation), in which he returns to a favourite Northwest Territories setting, crafting a supernatural thriller rich in Indigenous themes and the drama of the teenage years. Blending sharply observed realism and hair-raising horror, the story is ignited by the breakdown of “The Treaty” between the Dogrib and the Chipewyan of the Northwest Territories. Unfolding in the fictional town of Fort Simmer—the setting of previous Van Camp stories—Beast delivers a gripping, spirited tale that pits the powers of tradition against the pull of a vengeful past, with playful nods to 1980’s pop culture, and reflections on friendship, tradition and forgiveness.
Born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories (Treaty 8 territory), bestselling author Richard Van Camp is a member of the Dogrib (Tłįchǫ) Dene Nation. His work has won many awards and honors, among them the Blue Metropolis First Peoples Literary Prize and the title of Storyteller of the Year from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 2023 Van Camp was awarded the Order of the Northwest Territories. Richard has written 30 books in 30 years, with the adventure beginning with his first novel, The Lesser Blessed (Douglas & McIntyre), released as a film in 2012, and celebrating its 30th anniversary in Fall 2026. Richard lives and writes in Edmonton, Alberta (Treaty 6 territory).
The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the Writers’ Guild of Alberta in 1982 to recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors. Entries are judged by an independent jury recruited by the WGA. The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala Dinner on June 5, 2026 and you can get your tickets here. For the full list of all Alberta Literary Award finalists visit 2026 Alberta Literary Awards Finalists – Writers' Guild of Alberta