Dundurn Press is thrilled to announce that The Don by Lorna Poplak has been shortlisted for the 2021 Speaker’s Book Award. Congratulations, Lorna!
Conceived as a “palace for prisoners,” the Don Jail never lived up to its promise. Although based on progressive nineteenth-century penal reform and architectural principles, the institution quickly deteriorated into a place of infamy where both inmates and staff were in constant danger of violence and death. Its mid-twentieth-century replacement, the New Don, soon became equally tainted.
The Speaker’s Book Award celebrates non-fiction works by Ontario authors covering historical and cultural aspects of the province and its residents. Special consideration is given to books focusing on Ontario’s parliamentary heritage and on provincial political discourse. Learn more here.
Lorna Poplak is a writer, editor, and researcher, with a fascination for the stories behind the facts of Canadian history. She lives in Toronto. Read more here.