The Malahat Review congratulates Vaia Barkas, the winner of its inaugural Creative Non-Fiction Prize. The Whitehall, Montana, writer's entry, "Blind Spot," was chozen by Merilyn Simonds.

As final judge, Simonds, a Kingston, Ontario based writer known for such higly praised books as The Convict Lover, singled out "Blindspot" from the 100 entries submitted and commented that it is "Ostensibly about fly0fishing, [but] expands into a beguiling exploration of place and perception. The tone, which is delightfully sustained, is whimsical, deceptively so, given the weighty matter of dislocation that stands at the heart of the piece like a steadying stone submerged in a stream."

Simonds also selected two honorable mentions: "Sleep, Mother and Child: A Memoir" by Suzanne Nussey (Ottawa) and "In a Garden" by Shelagh Plunkett (Montreal).

Read Vaia Barkas's "Blindspot" in #161 (Winter 2007), available at the end of December.

The Malahat Review thanks all the entrants for their continuing support.