In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canada's confederation, the Writers' Trust of Canada has committed $150,000 over three years to a new fellowship celebrating the finest in Canadian writing. The inaugural fellow was announced last night at a gala event in Toronto. Michael Crummey is a highly decorated Newfoundland-based author, whose books have been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Governor General's Literary Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the Amazon First Novel Award and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in addition to winning the Thomas Head Raddall Award, the Winterset Award for Excellence in Newfoundland Writing and the Atlantic Independent Booksellers' Choice Award. He's no stranger to the Writers' Trust specifically, having won the first ever RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers early in his career and the mid-career, body of work Engel/Findley Award in 2007.
Crummey is a multi-genre writer, having published collections of poetry, a short fiction collection and several novels.
“The Writer’s Trust Fellowship was so unexpected, so extravagant and unlikely, that I'm still in shock,” said Michael Crummey. “It means time to work of course, something all writers fight for. And, given the literary talent in this country, it’s a huge honour even to have been considered.” He received a standing ovation at the gala.
The $50,000 fellowship is intended to free writers substantially from financial concerns and provide a window in which they can work with as much creative freedom as possible. The Writers’ Trust Fellow is invited to attend a two-week, self-directed residency at the Leighton Artists’ Colony at The Banff Centre. Two more fellows will be announced in the future, one in each of 2016 and 2017.
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