Historian, bestselling author, screenwriter and Trent University professor Dr. Robert Wright has won a prestigious $15,000 prize from the Canada Council for the Arts for his upcoming book, The Night Canada Stood Still, the latest in a series of accolades for his published work.

Dr. Wright is among seven artists named as recipients of the 2014 Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Prizes in an announcement made May 7, 2014 by the Canada Council for the Arts. The recipients are chosen by a committee of their peers from among the artists who received funding this past year for projects across the seven disciplines supported by the Council.

Dr. Wright receives this prize in recognition of his next book, The Night Canada Stood Still, slated for release on June 3, 2014, in which he revisits the drama and intrigue that led to the 1995 Quebec referendum which nearly split the nation. He blends the historical details around the sovereignist campaign with the excitement and anxiety that was felt by Canadians watching the election results across the country.

"I am thrilled to win the Lynch Staunton Award for my new book, the more so because it came from a blind jury of my peers,” said Dr. Wright upon learning of the prize. “I wrote the book because I believe the 1995 Quebec referendum was a watershed event for Canada and Quebec, and I am delighted to see that I am not alone in this view."

Dr. Wright, a professor of History at Trent University Oshawa, has built his career by challenging the way we think about Canadian history, foreign policy and sovereignty issues. He writes and speaks on a broad range of contemporary issues, including Canadian politics and diplomacy. He is the recipient of numerous research and publishing honours, including the Lela Common Prize for Canadian History for his national bestseller Three Nights in Havana (2007). Other publications include Hip and Trivial: Youth Culture, Book Publishing, and the Greying of Canadian Nationalism (2001), Virtual Sovereignty: Nationalism, Culture and the Canadian Question (2004), Our Place in the Sun: Canada and Cuba in the Castro Era (2009) and Our Man in Tehran: Ken Taylor and the Iran Hostage Crisis (2011). The latter book was also turned into a full-length, critically-acclaimed documentary film, which Dr. Wright co-wrote.

“The Canada Council supports artists at different stages of their career and the Victor Martyn Lynch‑Staunton Prize recognizes a turning point for these artists,” said Robert Sirman, director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. “We honour their accomplishments to date and support their next steps in producing outstanding work and expanding the reach of Canadian creativity.”

The prizes were created in 1967 using funds from a generous bequest made by the late Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton, and are awarded every three years.