Best Canadian Stories 2020

I am pleased to resume my sponsorship of the Metcalf-Rooke Award for the best Canadian short story in English after a hiatus of some years, and to present my cheque for this year’s winner, the unanimous choice of the judges, Kristyn Dunnion’s “Daughter of Cups.” It is a tough, disturbing, pitch perfect story of life in the slow lane on the shore of Lake Erie. My congratulations to Ms Dunnion.

— Steven Temple, Steven Temple Books

Hey Leon, hey, Leon. Have you had a chance to read through that Best 2020 stuff yet?

Mmm-hmm. How ya doin’?

Fine.

That neck—thing?

And your knee?

So who…?

Well, there’s nothing to talk about, is there?

Right, precisely. That is precisely what I thought.

We are talking about the same story?

That Ohio girl.

She’s the one. Live to ride, ride to live.

— John Metcalf and Leon Rooke