The Dayne Ogilvie Prize is presented annually to a Canadian writer from the LGBTQ2S+ community for a debut book in any genre.
The prize was established in 2007 by Robin Pacific in honour of her late friend Dayne Ogilvie, who was a respected editor, writer, literary manager, and passionate lover of all the arts. The 2021 prize is gratefully supported by one anonymous donor and an endowment fund established by Robin Pacific.
“Whether on stage or on the page, the work of Jillian Christmas strikes at the very core of what it means to be human. A writer of exceptional skill who circles back on memory and consciousness, she challenges us, through her own compassion and vulnerability, to confront oppression and to imagine new possibilities for justice and belonging. The Gospel of Breaking is an unforgettable book that speaks to lineages of Black queerness while showing how poetry and cadence can inhabit a body. Christmas’ voice is a deeply necessary one.”
— 2021 Dayne Ogilvie Prize jury (Daniel Allen Cox, Eva Crocker, and Danny Ramadan)
“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 LGBTQ2S+ writers for a debut book in any genre.
Past winners of the prize include Michael V. Smith, Zoe Whittall, Farzana Doctor, Kai Cheng Thom, and, most recently, Jillian Christmas. The 2021 prize is gratefully supported by one anonymous donor.
