David Stouck’s biography of celebrated Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson is the recipient of the second annual Basil Stuart- Stubbs Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Book on British Columbia.
The book prize was established in memory of bibliophile and former UBC Library Head, Basil Stuart-Stubbs, who passed away in 2012.
At the award reception held in June, Stouck accepted the prize for Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life with a poignant speech, in which he praised the book prize for its role in promoting and recognizing Canadian authors who may otherwise receive little publicity. University Librarian Ingrid Parent also spoke, calling Stouck’s work “an absorbing profile of an iconic British Columbian.”
Stouck met Stuart-Stubbs 30 years ago, while writing a biography of local author Ethel Wilson. Wilson encouraged Stouck to write about Erickson who designed many of Vancouver’s most famous buildings, including UBC’s Museum of Anthropology .
After reading letters written by the architect, Stouck gradually developed a strong affinity for Erickson. “It was all an adventure,” says Stouck, adding that he hopes the book will gain notoriety among B.C. audiences now that it has won several prizes—including two at the B.C. Book Prizes.
Two other books were shortlisted for the book prize – Inventing Stanley Park: An Environmental History by Sean Kheraj and Charles Edenshaw by Robin Kathleen Wright, Daina Augaitis, Robert Davidson and James Hart.
For more information on how to support the Basil Stuart-Stubbs Award, contact Leslie Fields, at 604-822-8926 or visit the awards website.
This story originally appeared in the 2014 summer issue of the Friends newsletter.