{"id":15963,"date":"2010-11-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-11-26T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yfiledev.uit.yorku.ca\/2010\/11\/26\/presidents-creative-writing-awards-celebrate-student-talent\/"},"modified":"2025-04-01T15:08:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T19:08:25","slug":"presidents-creative-writing-awards-celebrate-student-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/yfile\/2010\/11\/26\/presidents-creative-writing-awards-celebrate-student-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"President's Creative Writing Awards celebrate student talent"},"content":{"rendered":"
The right word here, a comma there, perhaps a couple of underused em dashes; toss in some intent, form, structure, along with a small dose of magic, to create a poem or story that will resonate long after it\u2019s been read.<\/p>\n
Those are just some of the technical aspects winners of this year\u2019s President\u2019s Creative Writing Awards would have struggled with in developing their winning entries.<\/p>\n As York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri told the gathering, \u201cIt is really important to recognize and celebrate excellence here at York. Of course, finding excellence at York is not really a difficult thing, it\u2019s rather easy. Just take a look around this room and around campus.\u201d<\/p>\n York is no stranger to producing talented and award-winning authors.\u00a0Twenty-nine years ago, Nino Ricci<\/a> (BA Spec. Hon. \u201981), now a Governor General\u2019s Literary Award for Fiction-winning author, was just graduating from York, a small portfolio of polished pieces under his arm. A decade later, Joseph Boyden<\/a> (BA Hons. '91) graduated from York and went on to win the Scotiabank Giller Prize.<\/p>\n Alumnus Jason Guriel<\/a> (BA Hons. \u201902, MA \u201904), winner of the Frederick Bock Prize from Chicago\u2019s Poetry <\/em>magazine and one of the judges for this year\u2019s writing awards, back at York to complete his PhD, published his second collection of poetry last year. And most recently, Jacob Scheier<\/a> (BA Hons. '08) took home the Governor General\u2019s Literary Award for Poetry the same year he graduated. That\u2019s just a smattering of alumni, not including York\u2019s faculty. Who knows what this year\u2019s crop of creative writing winners will go on to achieve.<\/p>\n \"I\u2019ve taught in a few places, a few universities, literature and creative writing,\" said York English Professor Michael Helm, one of the judges for the short\u00a0fiction category.\u00a0\"I really think at York there is something going on here that doesn\u2019t exist in any of these other universities around Toronto or the States or anywhere else I\u2019ve taught. Part of it is just the core of talent we're getting in this program is really quite remarkable.\"<\/p>\n
Right: From left,\u00a0Shaun Hogan, poetry award honourable mention; English Professor Priscila Uppal; Kevin Ferris, winner of the poetry award; Michael Earnshaw, poetry award honourable mention; and President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri<\/strong><\/p>\n
Left: From left, English Professor Rishma Dunlop; Judith Eve Gewurtz Memorial Poetry Award honourable mentions Jess Taylor and Rasia Virani; humanities Professor Margo Gewurtz; and Mamdouh Shoukri<\/strong><\/p>\n
Right: Mamdouh Shoukri (left) and Katie Alguire, winner of the screenplay award\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n