The Ukrainian community in Canada, estimated to include more than 1 million people, has contributed to all facets of Canadian society, and The Kobzar Literary Award exists to celebrates narratives that address Ukrainian-Canadian themes. Canada is home to the third largest Ukrainian community in the world after Russia and Ukraine itself, and this celebration is a relevant and positive way of shining a light on a vibrant Canadian community.
The $25,000 award has been presented biennially by the Shevchenko Foundation since 2003. This year, the award will be presented at a gala dinner in Toronto on March 2. All five of the nominated authors will attend the event.
The 2016 jury is an acclaimed, multi-genre group of writers made up of Karen Connelly, Tamas Dobozy and Shandi Mitchell. The jury acknowledged their gratitude for the chance to read the submissions and select the shortlist, highlighting that they were "grateful, as well, for the insights... offered us into a cultural and historical tradition that were 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.”
The 2016 Kobzar Literary Award shortlisted nominees are:
Grant Buday for The Delusionist (Anvil Press; Vancouver, 2014)
Orest Martynowych for The Showman and the Ukrainian Cause: Folk Dance, Film and the Life of Vasile Avramenko (University of Manitoba Press; Winnipeg, 2014)
Maurice Mierau for Detachment: An Adoption Memoir (Freehand Books; Calgary, 2014)
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch for Underground Soldier (Scholastic Canada Ltd., Toronto, 2014)
Stacey Zembrzycki for According to Baba: A Collaborative Oral History of Sudbury’s Ukrainian Community (University of British Columbia Press; Vancouver, 2014)
Stay tuned to Open Book for the announcement of the 2016 winner!
Post new comment