Tribute to father’s wartime experience wins national book award

By Greg Duck Posted: November 9, 2018 5:25 p.m.

Mark Cote’s self-published tribute to his father’s wartime experiences, That Lucky Old Son, is the winner of the Whistler Independent Book Award (non-fiction). As the award recipient, Cote received a sponsored award, a “Winner’s Sticker,” a publicity blitz, and national distribution through LitDistCo. Photo by External Relations

Mark Cote, geography and environmental studies instructor and independent author, was awarded the Whistler Independent Book Award (non-fiction) at the Whistler Writing Festival this past October.

The award was for his book, That Lucky Old Son, a tribute to his father’s experiences as a World War II bomber air crew, and prisoner of war. Cote was on a decade-long mission to learn all he could about the man that passed away when he was only a child – and to tell his story. Gathering the many stories and memories that are now contained within the pages of the book meant having countless conversations with his father’s crew mates, other veterans, and their families.

“I’m not only telling my father’s story, but I’m also speaking for so many others of his generation who sacrificed so much for a common cause,” said Cote. “Many never had a chance to tell their story, while many chose not to tell it at all.”

The four-day long Whistler Writer’s Festival is an event put on by the Whistler Writing Society and features writing workshops, readings, discussions, and awards. Now in its 17th year, the event attracts almost 2,000 people, including notable Canadian musicians, authors, and poets - such as Peter Carey, Eden Robinson, and Esi Edugyan.

Independent books, including entries from every province across the country, were submitted to the award selection committee. Shortlisted authors were then invited to Whistler to attend an award ceremony as part of The Literary Cabaret - one of the festival’s events.

“It was truly an honour to be in the company of and to be able to glean from all of the other authors. I was truly impressed by the other finalists' skill and dedication to the craft,” said Cote.

Cote is happy to have received the award, and knows that he would have made his father proud by using his education and talents to tell the story of those who could not. With the extra exposure from the win, Cote is hopeful that his message will reach an even larger audience.

“It makes me very proud to hear from everyone that has already been touched by the book. I hope this award entices others to learn the story of those who have served.”

Visit Mark Cote’s website to purchase a copy of That Lucky Old Son.

Read more about the book from A son’s quest to uncover his father’s wartime experiences.

Learn more about the Whistler Independent Book Awards and the Whistler Writer’s Festival.