THUNDER BAY - Local literary talent was celebrated during an evening to honour the written word that included a reminder of the importance of storytelling from an internationally best-selling author.
The Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop hosted the 2019 Write NOWW LitFest at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on Saturday, which included a keynote address by Deborah Ellis, best-selling author of The Breadwinner and Sit.
“I'm so glad we were able to partner with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery for this event. Gathering a bunch of normally reclusive writers in a space filled with great visual art brought an extra spark of celebration to the event,” said NOWW president, Elizabeth Pszczolko. “And our keynote speaker, Deborah Ellis, reminded us of the importance of good children's literature. When we think about the books that had the biggest effect on our lives, often, they are ones we read as children."
The evening also included announcing the winners of the 21st Annual NOWW Writing Contest and the recipient of the Kouhi Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the literature of Northwestern Ontario.
Heather Dickson was named this year’s Kouhi Award recipient. Dickson, who writes under the name H. Leighton Dickson, has self-published eight novels and does graphic design work for her own books and many others.
Dickson has hosted several workshops with NOWW and is a founding member of the Laughing Fox Writers Group.
“Heather is such a dynamic member of our writing community,” Pszczolko said. “A visual artist as well as a highly imaginative writer, Heather is a great role model for how to succeed in the emerging world of self publication."
The annual writing contest was also celebrated for another successful year with entries received from all across the country.
"Last night was a night to remember for the literary arts community in Thunder Bay,” said NOWW contest coordinator, Jodene Wylie. “So many incredibly skilled and talented writers were honoured by some of Canada's most esteemed authors. Our community continues to grow and build each year and last night's event at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery was a reflection of this vibrant literary space."
This year’s winners include:
Poetry judged by Jane Munro
1stplace: Sherri Lankinen
2ndplace: Sue Blott
3rdplace: Kevin Brooks
Creative non-fiction judged by M. G. Vassanji
1stplace: Bruce McCallum
2ndplace: Margie Taylor
3rdplace: Siobhan Farrell
Middle grade novel excerpt judged by Eric Walters
1stplace: Donna White
2ndplace: Glenn Ponka
3rdplace: John Pringle
Short fiction judged by Guy Vanderhaeghe
1stplace: Sue Blott
2ndplace: Mark Munger
3rdplace: Jane Crossman
Bill MacDonald Prize for Prose (fiction)
1stplace: Sue Blott
2ndplace: John Pringle
3rdplace: R. Cecil Burns
