(For current Alissa York news, please visit: blog.alissayork.com.)

November 2008 | Effigie (Quebec edition) long-listed for the Prix des libraires du Québec (Roman hors Québec).

November 2008 | La quarta moglie (Italian edition of Effigy, translated by Roberto Serrai) short-listed for the Premio Miglior Traduzione (Premio von Rezzori).

November 2008 | Effigy long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

October 2008 | Alissa signs on with agent Ellen Levine of Trident Media Group, LLC.

October 2008 | Effigie (Québec edition) published in Québec by Éditions Alto. Four-star review in La Presse (.pdf, 84 KB).

September 2008 | Effigie (French translation of Effigy) published in France by Éditions Joelle Losfeld (Gallimard). Rave reviews in Le Monde (.pdf, 176 KB), and Lire (.pdf, 116 KB).

September 2008 | Effigy published in the US by Thomas Dunne Books.

June, 2008 | "Rock Dove," a short story published in TOK: Writing the New Toronto, Book 3.

May, 2008 | Excerpt from a panel presentation to be given at the International Forum on the Novel in Lyon published with excerpts by fellow panelists in The Guardian (see page 3).

December, 2007 | "The Night Before," a short story published in The Globe and Mail, December 24, 2007.

December, 2007 | Effigy a Globe and Mail Best Book for 2007.

December, 2007 | Effigy an amazon.ca Best Book of 2007 (editors' pick).

November, 2007 | Amours défendues (French translation of Mercy) published in France. Glowing reviews in Le Monde and Elle Paris.

October, 2007 | Featured on CBC Radio Words At Large website.

November, 2007 | US rights to Effigy sold to Thomas Dunne Books for publication in 2008.

October, 2007 | Effigy short-listed for the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

September, 2007 | Effigy long-listed for the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

July, 2007 | French rights to Effigy sold to Éditions Joelle Losfeld, an imprint of Éditions Gallimard.

May, 2007 | Effigy is a national bestseller (Maclean's list). Also, in Holland, Vreemde ogen (the title of Effigy's Dutch edition launched in January) has been sent for a second printing.

May, 2007 | "Love and Remains," an essay published in Quill & Quire, May issue.

March, 2007 | "Books of Mormon," an essay published in The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2007.

January, 2007 | Alissa visited Amsterdam to mark the launch of her new novel, Effigy (the title of the Dutch edition is Vreemde ogen), published in the Netherlands + Belgium by J. M. Meulenhoff.

October, 2006 | Italian rights to Effigy sold to Giunti, publication date to be announced.

August 2006 | "The Back of the Bear's Mouth" included in The Penguin Book of Contemporary Canadian Women's Short Stories, edited by Lisa Moore.

April 2006 | Dutch rights to Effigy sold to J. M. Meulenhoff, for publication in early 2007.

September 2005 | Canadian rights to Effigy (a new novel) bought by Random House Canada for publication in spring, 2007.

May 2005 | French rights to Mercy bought by Les Éditions Gallimard for publication in late 2006.

September 2004 | US Edition of Mercy released by Delphinium Books.

December 2003 | "Weathervane II," an essay published in Paper Wait, vol. 5 (a collection of ‘Critical Distance’ texts commissioned by aceartinc. of Winnipeg).

June 2003 | Dutch edition of Mercy released by J.M. Meulenhoff.

February 2003 | Mercy a Canadian Bestseller.

May 2003 | "Knowledge," an essay published in Prairie Fire, Vol. 24, No. 1.

January 2003 | Mercy in stores as of January 15th.

December 2002 | "Uncommon Idiom," an essay published in Paper Wait, vol. 4 (a collection of ‘Critical Distance’ texts commissioned by aceartinc. of Winnipeg).

October 2002 | Dutch rights to Mercy sold to J. M. Meulenhoff.

September 2002 | Interview and story excerpt published in Contemporary Verse 2, Vol. 25, No. 2.

Awards/Recognition

2007 | Effigy shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

2004 | Mercy shortlisted for the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award.

2001 | Awarded John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer.

2000 | Any Given Power, a collection of short stories, wins The Mary Scorer Award for Best Book By a Manitoba Publisher.


2000 | Any Given Power short-listed for the Danuta Gleed Award for first book of short fiction.

1999 | "The Back of the Bear’s Mouth" wins the 1999 Journey Prize.

1999 | "The Back of the Bear’s Mouth" short-listed for the Western Magazine Awards, fiction category.


1999 | "Stitches" wins the Bronwen Wallace Award.


1998 | "The Back of the Bear’s Mouth" wins third prize in the 1998 Prairie Fire short fiction contest.

1997 | "Those Who Trespass" places runner-up in the 1997 PRISM international short fiction contest.