At Loblaw, a plan to sell literature with that lettuce

Loblaw is hoping Canadians will add prize-winning books to their weekly grocery list starting this week.

The supermarket chain has put all five books shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize into more than 200 of its stores nationwide.

Exposure for the books within one of Canada's busiest retailers should, presumably, spur sales.

“We know from our discussions with Canadian publishers and writers that they are absolutely thrilled at this unique opportunity to showcase their finest work to Canadian readers,” said Peter Kahnert, Writers’ Trust chair.

The Writer's Trust Prize, named for Hilary Weston, the former Ontario lieutenant governor whose Weston family controls Loblaw, recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction. The winner takes home $60,000, the largest prize for non-fiction in Canada.

This year's finalists, announced yesterday, include The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit by J.J. Lee and Geography of Blood: Unearthing Memory from a Prairie Landscape by Candace Savage.

While attending yesterday’s announcement of the finalists at Loblaw’s Maple Leaf Gardens store in Toronto, Savage expressed excitement about the potential for a wider reading audience. “Success for any writer means having readers,” she told Quill and Quire.

As part of its partnership with the Writers Trust, Loblaw will also host a book signing session with authors of the five finalist books Oct. 20.