1st Annual Urchie Award Winners!

What a show! Sincere thanks to all who read and voted! Here they are, your winners!

Book of the Year

Imperial by William T. Vollmann

Novelist (that’s right, novelist) William T. Vollmann spent ten years of his life on this 1,306-page nonfiction work about Mexican-Californian immigration relations. In those ten years, he spent time in the bordertowns, fields, and rivers surrounding Imperial County, California, and came out producing a truly comprehensive, enthralling, and significant work. Don’t think he did it for the money. (Read an excerpt!)

Other nominees
Clean Breaks by Jeremy Smith and Richard Hammond
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

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Urchin Destination of the Year (not including London)

Washington, D.C.

19 free Smithsonian museums, 3 convenient, efficient, and cheap modes of public transportation, beautiful European architecture, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. D.C. perfectly showcases how a city can be simultaneously modern and historic. International and intellectual spirit permeates the life force of the American capital city. Plus, Obama lives there.

Other nominees
Edinburgh
Brussels

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Exemplary Human Being

Dave Eggers

Dave’s nonfiction book A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is a favourite of the Urchins, and pushed the boundaries of creative nonfiction. Both his nonfiction and fiction works take on critical issues such as wrongfully accused inmates, the American school system, Hurricane Katrina, and Darfur. He founded 826 (where Geo interned in 2008), a national writing, tutoring, and publishing non-profit for kids ages 6-18 and adapted Where the Wild Things Are for the 2009 film. Last year, he co-wrote the film Away We Go with his wife, Vendela Vida. You’re a legend, Dave.

Other nominees
Ewan McGregor
George Clooney

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Musical Artist of the Year

Jackson Browne

His poignant and poetically astounding verses may have been written 30 years ago, but are still relevant today, especially to an Urchin.

Other nominees
St. Vincent
Hanson

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Briton of the Year

Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney (heard of him?) is a Beatle for godsakes. Not to mention a knight, a vegetarian, a peace and animal rights activist, a musician, a poet, a children’s book author, a painter… Should we keep going?

Other nominees
Cheryl Cole
Chris Cleave

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And now for the reader’s poll vote – you, dear people, have chosen as the winner of Urchin Film of the Year…

Up

Beautifully animated, seriously well-written, and one of only a few films that addresses the hugely important but rarely discussed issue of the treatment of elders in modern Western society.

Other nominees
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker (though a big congrats to Kathryn Bigelow for making history!)

Hope you enjoyed the show! It’s time to get back to work. (But before you do, feel free to revisit our blurbs for all the nominees! And in case you missed it, read who won the Urchie Lifetime Achievement Award!)