The Dayne Ogilvie Prize is presented annually to a Canadian writer from the LGBTQ community who demonstrates great potential in the early stages of their career through an exceptional body of work.
The prize was established in 2007 by Robin Pacific in honour of her late friend, who was a respected editor, writer, literary manager, and passionate lover of all the arts.
"Arielle Twist is a crucial writer the world needs. The intentionality, spareness, and lush lyricism of her work faces down colonial cissexist violence and wraps her family, body, and communities with deep love, justice, and honest witness. Twist's poetry moves with dignity, deliberation, deep craft, and purpose. Her work is potent, breathtaking Indiqueer brilliance, telling stories that bring the next world — the one we, and in particular Indigenous trans women, deserve — into being."
— 2020 Dayne Ogilvie Prize Jury (Trevor Corkum, Lindsay Nixon, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha)
“The recognition gives a lot of agency, power, and love back to those of us who are producing and writing right now.”
Robin Pacific established the prize in 2007 to honour her late friend, Dayne Ogilvie, who was a respected editor, writer, literary manager, and passionate lover of all the arts. The Dayne Ogilvie Prize rewards LGBTQ writers of any age who are in the developing stages of their career and whose body of work to date demonstrates great potential.
Past winners of the prize include Michael V. Smith, Zoe Whittall, Farzana Doctor, Kai Cheng Thom, and, most recently, Lindsay Nixon. The 2020 prize is gratefully supported by one anonymous donor.
