In a historic first, two books have won the title of Canada’s most outstanding business book – The
Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire and Value(s): Building A Better World for All
TORONTO, December 8, 2021 – For the first time in its 36-year history, two authors have been named
winners of the National Business Book Award (NBBA) and its $30,000 prize. In an extraordinary year for
the award, with its longest list ever of worthy nominees, Stephen R. Bown’s The Company: The Rise and
Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire and Mark Carney’s Value(s): Building A Better World for All best
exemplified the wide range and high calibre of outstanding Canadian business writing. The
announcement was made today at the virtual Award Ceremony hosted by NBBA Jury Chair, bestselling
author and award-winning journalist Peter Mansbridge.
The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire, published by Doubleday Canada, provides a
fresh perspective on Canada’s founding myth. In re-telling the story of the Hudson’s Bay Company and
its foundational role in the early development of our country, author Stephen Bown highlights the
critical role that collaborative relationships with First Nations played in the venture’s earliest success. He also chronicles how competition, political agendas, economic shifts, and personalities converged to disrupt that fragile balance, ultimately contributing to the disenfranchisement of Indigenous people as Canada became a nation.
Bown has written ten books on the history of exploration, science, and ideas. His books have been
translated into nine languages. Born in Ottawa, he now lives near Banff in the Canadian Rockies.
After decades at the highest levels of domestic and international economic and political policy making,
Mark Carney posits that there is opportunity embedded in disruption, offering a chance to forge a new
consensus around common goals. Published by Signal/McClelland & Stewart, Value(s): Building a Better World for All is focused on “mission-oriented capitalism” and the solutions that can better address the complex challenges that have have surfaced as the second wave of globalization come to an end and the fourth industrial revolution begins. Among those challenges are climate change, income inequality, a crisis of institutional trust and the urgent need for values-based leadership in the public and private sectors.
Carney is the U.N. Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and the U.K.’s Finance Advisor for
COP26. He was previously Governor of the Bank of England (2013-2020), and Governor of the Bank of
Canada (2008-2013). He is part of the Group of Thirty, and the Foundation Board of the World Economic
Forum. Born in Fort Smith, NWT, he lives in Ottawa.
“As a country, we are blessed to have such wonderful talent writing about Canada’s stories, with a
Canadian themes expressing our uniqueness,” says Miles S. Nadal, founder of Peerage Capital and the
2021 NBBA’s presenting partner. “The subjects of these books include the economy, business, and other
areas, all from a completely unique Canadian perspective and [in] a holistic way which is so imperative.”
The NBBA’s independent jury is chaired by Peter Mansbridge and includes Wes Hall, executive chairman
and founder, Kingsdale Advisors and the BlackNorth Initiative; Deirdre McMurdy, Adjudicator; David
Denison, corporate director; author and publisher Anna Porter; and Senator Pamela Wallin.
“With our jury receiving twice as many nominations as we’ve seen in past years, 2021 proved to be a
banner year for Canadian business writers and thinkers,” said Mansbridge. “Through the bold ideas
presented in these exceptional published works, this year’s finalists clearly demonstrate how Canada
plays a leading role in navigating—and solving—an abundance of complex economic, social and
scientific challenges facing our world.”
The finalists for this year’s National Business Book Award demonstrated outstanding and inspiring
business writing, spanning a tremendous range of topics and perspectives, and sharing a common
challenge to the status quo.
The 2021 finalists include:
- Grand Chief Ronald M. Derrickson, Fight or Submit: Standing Tall in Two World, published by ECW
Press. - Roger L. Martin, When More Is Not Better: Overcoming America’s Obsession with Economic
Efficiency, published by Harvard Business Review Press. - Jeff Rubin, The Expendables: How the Middle Class Got Screwed by Globalization, published by
Random House Canada.
Now in its 36th year, the National Business Book Award is one of Canada’s most prestigious literary
awards and continues to gain attention and praise from publishers, authors, journalists, academics,
economists and business leaders around the world.
The National Business Book Award is made possible by sponsors Miles S. Nadal, Stephen J.R. Smith, and
The Targeted Strategies Group. The Award Ceremony Partner is Oxford Properties Group and media
partners are The Globe and Mail, The Walrus and Manscorp Media Services. The National Business
Book Award would also like to acknowledge the Government of Canada’s support this year.
– 30 –
Follow us on Twitter @NBBAward or visit www.nbbaward.com
For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Mary Ann Freedman, Freedman & Associates Inc.
Tel: 416-868-1500 | Email: maf@freedmanandassociates.com
