Ottawa, September 14, 2005 -- The Canada Council for the Arts has announced the names of the first grant recipients in the Aboriginal Emerging Writers Program. This program encourages the artistic development of emerging Aboriginal writers and storytellers.
The grant recipients, selected by a committee of professional writers and publishers from across Canada, are: Barbara Frazer (Moose Jaw, SK); Brenda Kolson (Yellowknife, NWT); Melvina Mack (Bella Coola, BC); Robin Quuisuq Taylor (Montreal); Gloria Thomas (Kingston, ON); Melina Vassiliou (Maliotenam, QC); and Marie Fontaine (Moisie, QC). The successful applicants are participating in a two-week intensive writing program at the Banff Centre until September 23.
The Aboriginal Emerging Writers Program is an initiative of the Canada Council, the Aboriginal Arts Program of the Banff Centre and the En'owkin Centre, in Penticton, B.C. Through this program, the Canada Council seeks to encourage new and contemporary Aboriginal writing and to further the appreciation of Aboriginal literatures in Canada. The successful applicants received a scholarship of $5,000 administered by the Banff Centre.
Under the leadership of Aboriginal writers Karen Olson, Jean Sioui and Louise Halfe, from the En'owkin Centre, the 7 recipients will participate in a program designed to refine their writing skills, while learning about writing techniques, methodologies, genres, cultural and storytelling protocols and traditions. They will also learn how to increase the relevance of their writing and develop innovative strategies for publishing their work.
"The Canada Council was thrilled at the response from Aboriginal writers who applied to the new Aboriginal Emerging Writer's Residency at the Banff Centre," said Louise Profeit-Leblanc, Aboriginal Arts Coordinator of the Canada Council's Aboriginal Arts Secretariat. "The successful applicants come from across the country including Quebec and the North, which are important Council priorities. No doubt the results of this work will not only increase their credibility but will also enable them to serve as role models for the aspiring writers of these underserved regions of Canada." For interviews with the recipients and the program leaders, contact Jill Sawyer at the Banff Centre at: (403) 762-6475. For more information about this program, contact Paul Seesequasis, Program Officer, Writing and Publishing at the Canada Council for the Arts, at 1 800 263-5588, ext. 5482.
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