The National Business Book Award

National Business
Book Award

2013 National Business Book Award

Chrystia Freeland wins National Business Book Award

$20,000 award recognizes the most outstanding Canadian business-related book

TORONTO, MAY 28, 2013 – Chrystia Freeland has been named the winner of this year's National Business Book Award for her book, Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else, published by Doubleday Canada. The announcement was made at a luncheon today in Toronto, hosted by co-sponsors PwC and BMO Financial Group.

Plutocrats takes a reflective, insightful and well-researched look at the economic disparity that has emerged between the "super rich" – a small number of immensely wealthy people – and the rest of society. Freeland describes how this divide began and what it signifies for each side of the gap. She examines how the convergence of technology and globalization has created the greatest income gap of all time.

"The National Business Book Award consistently reflects the diverse range of topics relevant to the Canadian business community," says Gino Scapillati, National Managing Partner, Markets, PwC. "I'm pleased that the enthusiasm for the award is stronger than ever. It's a tribute to the quality of Canadian business writing and great business authors."

"Special thanks to the jury members for the dedication and focus they applied to the selection of this year's winner," said Barbara Dirks, Senior Vice-President & Chief Learning Officer, BMO Financial Group. "The caliber of talent was incredible, and to recognize just one author in particular was no small feat. So, congratulations to Ms. Freeland for winning this prestigious literary award for a truly insightful piece of business literature."

Now in its 28th year, the National Business Book Award has come to be recognized as one of Canada's most prestigious literary awards. The winning author is honoured with a $20,000 prize.

Freeland is an acclaimed journalist and the Managing Director and Editor, Consumer News, for Thomson Reuters. She has served as a correspondent for the Financial Times, is the former deputy editor of The Globe and Mail and currently, has a regular column in the Report on Business.

Earlier this year, Freeland won the 2013 Lionel Gelber Prize which recognizes the world's best non-fiction books on foreign affairs. Freeland is also the author of Sale of a Century: The Inside Story of the Second Russian Revolution (2000), which details Russia's journey from communism to capitalism.

Freeland holds a B.A. in History and Literature from Harvard University and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University for her Master's degree. She was born in Peace River, Alberta and now lives in New York City.

The finalists for this year's National Business Book Award include:

  • Bernie Finkelstein, True North: A Life in the Music Business, published by McClelland & Stewart Ltd.
  • Douglas Hunter, Double Double: How Tim Hortons Became a Canadian Way of Life One Cup at a Time, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
  • Amanda Lang, The Power of Why, Published by Collins, and imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Mary Ann Freedman
Freedman & Associates Inc. for the National Business Book Award
Tel: 416-868-1500
Email: mafreedman@freedmanandassociates.com
www.nbbaward.com