The finalists for the 2026 Manitoba Book Awards were recently announced. Cale Plett's YA debut, Wavelength (Groundwood Books), has been named a finalist for the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book. The $2,000 prize is generously sponsored by the Winnipeg Foundation and the Manitoba Writers’ Guild.
The winners will be announced at an in-person event held at the Park Theatre (698 Osborne St., Winnipeg) and hosted by esteemed broadcaster Shelagh Rogers on Saturday, September 19 at 12 noon. Admission is free. No RSVP required.
For the complete list of finalists, visit manitobabookawards.ca.
About Wavelength
Seventeen-year-old pop sensation Sasha may be famous, but they’ve always kept a layer of anonymity by covering their face to perform. Facing pressure to unmask in public, Sasha runs away to a nowhere midwestern city, planning to finish senior year and come out as non-binary away from the limelight. But their plan falters from the moment they meet Wavelength, an alt-rock band, and their lead singer. Lillian is struggling to keep the band together, caught in a mess of lyrics, late-night texts and illconceived love notes. She’s torn between feelings for her ex-girlfriend (and ex-bandmember) and her new infatuation with Sasha. Maybe this stranger is the new singer and the new love she’s looking for—even though Sasha’s stories don’t seem to quite add up.