ATLANTIC

Halifax native David Mulroney wins J.W. Dafoe Book Prize

THE CANADIAN PRESS Published Wednesday, April 13, 2016 1:01PM ADT

In this 2009 file photo, David Mulroney testifies in the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (Pawel Dwulit / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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TORONTO -- Former Canadian diplomat David Mulroney is the winner of this year's J.W. Dafoe Book Prize.

The Halifax native was among five finalists for the $10,000 award, which honours non-fiction about Canada and is named after prominent Canadian editor John Wesley Dafoe.

Mulroney was awarded the top prize for his book "Middle Kingdom, Middle Power: What Canadians Need to Know About China in the 21st Century" (Penguin Random House Canada).

Mulroney served as the Canadian ambassador to China from 2009 to 2012.

He also acted as deputy minister responsible for the Afghanistan Task Force, overseeing interdepartmental co-ordination of all aspects of Canada's engagement in Afghanistan.

Mulroney will be formally awarded the prize at a dinner in Winnipeg on May 25.