Via Writers’ Trust of Canada
The Writers’ Trust of Canada is delighted to announce the finalists for a literary award with a proven track record of identifying the country’s most promising young writers.
The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers rewards writers who are unpublished in book form and under the age of thirty-five. Alternating each year between poetry and short fiction, this year’s award will be given for an outstanding work of fiction. The RBC Foundation supports the prize through the RBC Emerging Artists Project, which invests in up-and-coming artists to help build their professional careers. The winner will be announced the evening of May 2, 2012 and awarded a $5,000 cash prize, with the other two finalists receiving $1,000 each.
The three finalists are:
Dina Del Bucchia for “Under the ‘I’”
A graduate of UBC’s MFA program, Dina Del Bucchia has had her work appear in literary publications across Canada and as art in Old Friends’ exhibition Funny Business. As well, she wrote and performed a one-woman show as part of the 2005 Vancouver Fringe Festival and she writes a monthly column for Canada Arts Connect Magazine. She is 32 years old and lives in Vancouver.
Kathy Friedman for “At the Bottom of the Garden”
Kathy Friedman was born in South Africa and now lives in Toronto. Her work has appeared in Grain, Geist, Room, This Magazine, and the anthology Brave New Play Rites (Anvil Press). She is currently completing an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Guelph, and is at work on a collection of linked short stories. She is twenty-nine.
Jen Neale for “Elk-Headed Man”
Jen Neale is a 28-year-old writer living in Vancouver. Her work has appeared in OCW Magazine and the collection of short fiction Writing Without Direction (Clark-Nova Books). Neale is working toward an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia, and is the Executive Editor (Circulation and Promotion) of PRISM international. “Elk-Headed Man” includes characters from her novel-in-progress.
The stories by all three finalists for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award are available for free download exclusively on Apple’s iBookstore starting today at iTunes.com/BronwenWallace. The iBookstore is accessible via the free iBooks App for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, and at www.itunes.ca/iBookstore.
The Writers’ Trust received 110 submissions for the award from young writers hailing from across Canada. A jury comprised of Alexander MacLeod, Johanna Skibsrud, and Madeleine Thien selected the three finalists. The jurors read blind submissions with all identifying information removed. To read jury citations for each of the nominated works, visit www.writerstrust.com.
“RBC is proud to support this award for promising new Canadian writers,” said Shari Austin, vice president, corporate citizenship and executive director of the RBC Foundation. “We believe it is critical to identify, nurture, and reward the next generation of Canadian talent. This is why we set up the RBC Emerging Artists Project, to provide support to artists in various disciplines through internships, apprenticeships, and recognition programs.”
The winner will be announced May 2nd at a special event hosted by Alissa York held at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. York was the 1999 recipient of this award. Her subsequent literary accolades include a nomination for the Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novel Effigy. A booklet featuring the finalist works will be distributed at the event and will be available following the announcement by request to info@writerstrust.com.
“A nomination for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award is a launching pad for a stellar literary career” said Peter Kahnert, Writers’ Trust Chair and senior vice-president, Raymond James Ltd. “Recognition of exceptional potential through this prize awarded by a jury of established writers is the greatest affirmation a young and emerging talent can receive.”