Hope in Shadows Book Editors Nominated for B.C. Book Prize

Vancouver, March 12, 2009 - Editors Brad Cran and Gillian Jerome have been nominated for the B.C. Book Prize: Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize to recognize the authors of the book that contributes most to the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia.

The nomination comes after Cran and Jerome's book Hope in Shadows, Stories and Photographs of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside won the City of Vancouver Book Award in October. Cran and Jerome's book is still sold on the streets of Vancouver by vendors who also sold the annual Hope in Shadows calendar. The calendar features winning images from the annual photography contest in the Downtown Eastside and is a micro-credit operation where the vendors reinvest profits back into their calendar or book selling business.

"Brad Cran and Gillian Jerome have promoted understanding of some of the most vulnerable people in B.C. in a very balanced and empathetic way. The Hope in Shadows book was instrumental in the huge growth that the Hope in Shadows calendar sales had last year," says Ryan, adding that the people interviewed for the book were consulted before the book was published and that book royalties were given back to them by the editors.

Public support for book and calendar street vendors in 2008 resulted in a 140 percent increase in income for the vendors over 2007, says program coordinator Paul Ryan. "More than 10,000 Hope in Shadows calendars and 3,000 books were sold through our street vendor program in 2008, resulting in $130,000 revenue for the licensed vendors who sold them."

Hope in Shadows book and calendar vendor Peter Thompson (pictured) believes selling the book and calendar has given him not only income, but purpose and increased self-confidence. "It gives me pride and an opportunity to get out and do something," says Thompson, adding that before Hope in Shadows he did odd jobs including collecting bottles and cans for their deposit money.

The Hope in Shadows book was published by Arsenal Pulp Press and Pivot Legal Society. The winners in the seven categories of the B.C. Book Prize will be announced at a gala on April 25 at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel in Vancouver.