September 7, 2015 (Toronto, Ontario). The Kobzar Literary Award celebrates narratives that address Ukrainian Canadian themes.
Jury members Karen Connelly, Tamas Dobozy and Shandi Mitchell said they were “inspired by the many literary works, histories, life stories, and documentaries that were entered for this prize. We were grateful, as well, for the insights they offered us into a cultural and historical tradition that was not necessarily our own. Throughout the course of reading and viewing these works, we developed a greater understanding of and appreciation for Ukrainian culture and its importance that seems especially pressing today. We wish all of these writers continued success along their chosen paths, and thank them for bringing us into their worlds.”
The 2016 Kobzar Literary Award shortlisted nominees are:
Buday, Grant. The Delusionist. Anvil Press; Vancouver, B.C., Canada, 2014
Martynowych, Orest. The Showman and the Ukrainian Cause: Folk Dance, Film and the Life of Vasile Avramenko. University of Manitoba Press; Winnipeg, MB, 2014
Mierau, Maurice. Detachment: An Adoption Memoir. Freehand Books; Calgary, Alberta, 2014
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk. Underground Soldier. Scholastic Canada Ltd., Toronto, 2014
Zembrzycki, Stacey. According to Baba: A collaborative Oral History of Sudbury’s Ukrainian Community. University of British Columbia Press; Vancouver, BC, 2014
The Kobzar shortlisted authors will read from their works at the International Festival of Authors (IFOA), on Sunday October 25 at Harbourfront. Tickets for the IFOA are available at www.IFOA.org.
About Kobzar Literary Award: Launched in 2003 by the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko, the biennial $25,000 Kobzar Award recognizes outstanding contributions to Canadian literary arts through presentation of a Ukrainian Canadian theme with literary merit. A winner will be announced at the award ceremony on March 3, 2016 at Palais Royale in Toronto. www.kobzarliteraryaward.ca
About Shevchenko Foundation: The Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko is a national, chartered philanthropic institution providing leadership by building and nurturing a permanent endowment fund dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Ukrainian Canadian cultural heritage and the advancement of a flourishing Ukrainian community for the enrichment of Canada. www.shevchenkofoundation.ca
About International Festival of Authors: IFOA presents the finest international novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers and biographers, and provides Canadian writers with an internationally recognized forum in which to present their work. Incorporated in 1986 as a nonprofit organization with a mandate to cultivate and advance the cause of literature, the organization operates under the principal sponsorship of Harbourfront Centre.
Posted by U of M Press
September 8, 2015
Categorized as News
To Vote or Not to Vote Writing Radical Winnipeg