Jonathan Poh wins 2020 CBC Nonfiction Prize for His First Personal Essay, "Value Village"

This morning, CBC Books announced that Burnaby-based writer Jonathan Poh has won the 2020 CBC Nonfiction Prize for his essay "Value Village". Poh is a writer, former magazine editor, and communications specialist who has written extensively on culture, fashion, and more, but his winning essay was in fact his first-ever piece of personal nonfiction. 

Poh shared with CBC that he ""wasn't confident about entering the competition so I procrastinated, wavered between entering and not entering. But in the end, I knew this was a story I needed to push myself to tell." 

The jury, composed of writers Yasuko Thanh, Bill Gaston, and Robyn Doolittle, praised Poh's thoughtful and entertaining portrait of the complex role thrift stores played in his life and identity after arriving in Canada from Singapore with his family: "This painfully entertaining coming-of-age story walks a weighty path through immigration, racism, class and bullying. Value Village is a beautifully written story told with wisdom, heart and, always, a gently biting humour."

As the winner, Poh receives $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and a two-week writing residency at the prestigious Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity.

The four remaining finalists for the CBC Nonfiction Prize are Joseph Kakwinokanasum of White Rock, B.C. for "Ray Says", the late Amy MacRae of Vancouver for "Take a Photo Before I Leave You", Rachael Preston of Nanaimo, B.C. for "The Story Teller", and Leona Theis of Saskatoon for "Sturnella Neglecta (Overlooked Little Starling)". They will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Read "Value Village" online for free at CBC Books.