Dayne Ogilvie Prize
Sponsored by Robin Pacific
Winner: $4,000
2012 Prize
This year's winner and two writers receiving honors of distinction will be announced at a prize presentation in Toronto's 519 Church Street Community Centre on June 26, 2012.
2011 Prize Winner
With her first novel, Stealing Nasreen, and now her discerning new novel, Six Metres of Pavement, it’s hard to imagine a gentler protestor than Farzana Doctor, but protest she does: racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia all fall before her gentle yet powerful touch. She is a writer to cherish and reread when we feel the world lacks a moral centre.
-Jury Citation
About the Author
Farzana Doctor is the author of two novels, Stealing Nasreen (Inanna, 2007) and Six Metres of Pavement (Dundurn 2011). Besides novels, Doctor has written on social work and diversity-related topics, and provides private practice consulting and psychotherapy services. She is a long-time activist in the queer/South Asian communities and is a co-curator of the Brockton Writers Series. She lives in Toronto. For more info: www.farzanadoctor.com.
2011 Honours of Distinction
Dani Couture is the Toronto-based author of two books of poetry: Good Meat and Sweet (Pedlar Press). Her work has appeared in publications across the country including The Walrus, The Globe and Mail, Taddle Creek, and This Magazine. Sweet was recently shortlisted for the Trillium Book Award for Poetry. Her first novel, Algoma, will be released in the fall of 2011 from Invisible Publishing.
Matthew J. Trafford’s debut story collection, The Divinity Gene, was released by Douglas & McIntyre earlier this year. He has published fiction widely in magazines and anthologies, and won the Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction. Trafford lives in Toronto, where he works with deaf college students and performs long-form improv with his two-person troupe, The Bromos.
A jury composed of authors Jen Sookfong Lee, Jeffrey Round, and Zoe Whittall selected the recipients.
About the Prize
Established in 2007, the prize is presented to an emerging Canadian writer from the LBGT community who demonstrates great promise through a body of work of exceptional quality. Writers who identify themselves as LBGT are eligible and while no age restriction exists, the grant is intended for developing writers. The winner, selected by a three-member, independent judging panel, is presented with the grant annually.
About the Sponsor
The grant was established by Robin Pacific, a close personal friend of Dayne Ogilvie. Mr. Ogilvie was a highly respected freelance book editor, writer, and manager. A passionate lover of all the arts, he died in October 2006.