Liverpool author Bryn Pottie has been named to the longlist for the prestigious Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his debut novel, The Great Lunenburglary.

Liverpool author Bryn Pottie has been named to the longlist for the prestigious Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his debut novel, The Great Lunenburglary, bringing a uniquely Nova Scotian story to the national stage.

For 79 years, the annual $25,000 dollar prize has recognized excellence in Canadian literary humour. Past winners have included Will Ferguson, W.O. Mitchell, Stuart McLean and Mordecai Richler. In addition to local author Bryn Pottie, this year’s longlist includes humour heavy hitters such as Mark Critch and Terry Fallis.

The list “showcases the remarkable talent, wit and keen insight that continue to make Canadianliterary humour so vibrant and essential,” says Daphne Mainprize, president of Stephen Leacock Associates.

“It’s a great honour to be a Leacock longlister!” says author Bryn Pottie. “I worked hard on this book and it’s great to be recognized by an even more prestigious group than my mom and her friends at the library. Any history book will show you that the Nova Scotian story has always been full of hard, serious work. But this place is pretty silly and ridiculous, too, and I wanted to write something to highlight that.”

Set in 1922 Lunenburg, The Great Lunenburglary tells the story of two teenagers who steal the Bluenose. Blending historical fiction with absurdist comedy, the novel delivers a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud caper rooted in local culture and storytelling traditions. It was released in June 2025 by Nova Scotia’s Moose House Publications.

“It’s ironic that Bryn Pottie and Moose House are producing this level of quality at the same time our provincial government is cutting funding for publishers who provide opportunities for this level of writing,” says Moose House publisher Brenda Thompson.

After a year of steady local sales, national retail chain Indigo named The Great Lunenburglary one of Canada’s best regional books of 2025.

“The Great Lunenburglary is a kilometre-a-minute laugh riot with endless re-readability,” says Bridgewater Coles manager Justin Robar, “I’d recommend this book to anyone; there’s probably no one in Nova Scotia that I haven’t already!”

The three finalists will be revealed in mid-May, and the winner of the

and $25,000 prize will be celebrated at a gala dinner in Orillia, Ontario on June 20.

The full 2026 Leacock Prize longlist is available here: https://quillandquire.com/omni/longlist-announced-for-2026-leacock-medal-for-humour/ For more information, review copies, or interview requests, please contact Bryn Pottie at brynsampottie@gmail.com or Brenda Thompson at brenda@moosehousepress.ca.

Ashley Christian is owner of WorkEvolved on Main Street in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

Through the day, the WorkEvolved shared office space in downtown Liverpool is a pretty sedate place, with people holding meetings or working on computers.

But on Friday afternoon, it will be the site of some haunting, hilarious and harrowing tales. Four Queens County authors will be reading from their various works, starting at 4 p.m.

Vernon Oickle, Bryn Pottie, Laura Keating and Scott Miller will be part of Local Voices: An Evening of Reading.

WorkEvolved owner Ashley Christian said she was inspired by a recent visit to Rocky Harbour, NL, as part of a course she’s taking on community development.

“And while I was there, I was so impressed by how that community opens up their privately owned spaces for community use. And it just got me thinking, what can I do differently here at WorkEvolved?” Christian, who is also president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview.

“And I would love for folks of Liverpool and beyond to start to feel like this is a space that they can use, and it’s not just a corporate office space. 
So that was the inspiration behind trying to kind of change the perception of WorkEvolved. And as a big reader myself, I thought, ‘What better place to start?’”

Christian bought WorkEvolved in June, though she’s used it for office space herself since it opened in 2020. 

She said she wanted to get something together as part of Christmas on the Mersey, which kicks off on Friday.

“So what you can expect is an opportunity to mingle with fellow book lovers, hopefully in a more intimate setting. And we’re going to have each of the four authors spend the first hour reading something that’s meaningful to them. 

“And then the second hour will be casual conversation, light Q&A with the authors, and an opportunity to speak to them individually, to purchase their books and have a few little snacks and treats.”

The four authors represent an eclectic range of voices. 

Oickle is a prolific and award-winning fiction and non-fiction writer known for his ghost stories. Pottie has received raves for his debut farce, The Great Lunenburglary. Horror writer Keating has gotten notice for her short stories and novella, while Miller’s dystopian cyberpunk debut won the Indies Today award for best sci-fi action/adventure.

Christian says this is only the first of more community events she hopes to organize at WorkEvolved.

“I’m trying to think of things that we’re missing here in Queens County. And what can I bring in that adds value to the community? So I think that a self-defence course would be great. 
I also know that we have some amazing amateur chefs in the area. I would love to be able to help folks to share their passion for cooking, and maybe offer some sort of community dinner.”

Local Voices will be held at WorkEvolved at 154 Main St. in Liverpool, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. It’s a free event.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com