Erin Frances Fisher wins RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers
TORONTO, May 28, 2014 /CNW/ - The Writers' Trust of Canada announced
last night the winner of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging
Writers, which shines the spotlight on some of Canada's most talented
emerging writers, giving them much needed exposure, funding and
mentorship opportunities. The award has a track record for identifying
some of this country's finest developing writers.
Erin Frances Fisher, a 31-year-old from Victoria, B.C. won the $5,000 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers for her short story "Girl." Her work has been published in Riddle Fence, Little Fiction, and Granta and she has previously won PRISM International's fiction contest and The Malahat Review's Open Season Award. She holds a BFA in writing and an MFA in fiction
from the University of Victoria. Fisher is also a trained pianist who
teaches at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
The prize alternates between poetry and short fiction each year,
rewarding writers under age 35 who are unpublished in book form. It is
supported by the RBC Emerging Artists Project, which invests in
up-and-coming artists to help build their professional careers. The
award, which also celebrated its 20th anniversary, was presented at an
event at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music hosted by novelist and
poet Michael Crummey, who won the inaugural prize in 1994.
Jurors Michelle Berry, Diane Schoemperlen, and Tanis Rideout selected
the winner from 133 submissions. Of Fisher's winning story they wrote:
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A visceral tale guaranteed to make you shiver, "Girl" reminds us of the
truth that humans are more than blood and bone. With a surprising and
perfect ending, flawless sentences throughout, and a consistently
realistic tone, this short story is as vast and satisfying as a great
novel. Erin Frances Fisher is a writer you will see again.
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Two finalists received $1,000 each: Leah Jane Esau, a 28-year-old based
in Montreal, for "Dream Interpretation" and Jakub Stachurski, a
30-year-old from Toronto, for "Screen Capture." Each juror committed to
mentoring one of the finalists to offer feedback on their writing and
guidance on their career development.
The winning and nominated stories are available for free download on
iBooks at iTunes.com/BronwenWallace.
"Erin Frances Fisher is the 20th winner of an award known for
identifying the upcoming stars of Canadian literature," said Mary
Osborne, Executive Director of the Writers' Trust of Canada. "We look
forward to watching her career flourish and celebrating her future
successes."
"I would like to congratulate our winner, Erin Frances Fisher, on such a
significant achievement early in her writing career," said Shari
Austin, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship of RBC and Executive
Director of the RBC Foundation. "We are proud to support the Writers'
Trust of Canada, and the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award, which helps to
identify and profile talented emerging writers."
About Bronwen Wallace
Bronwen Wallace was a poet, short story writer, and mentor to many young
writers as a creative writing instructor at Queen's University and St.
Lawrence College in Kingston. This prize was established in her honour
in 1994 by a group of friends and colleagues. Wallace felt that writers
should have more opportunities for recognition early in their careers
and so this annual award is given to a writer below the age of 35 who
has published poetry or prose in literary magazines, journals, or
anthologies, but has not yet been published in book form.
About the Award
In its 20-year history, the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award has distinguished
69 young writers with a nomination and many have gone on to receive
literary acclaim. Past winners include Stephanie Bolster, Marjorie
Celona, Jeramy Dodds, Alison Pick, and Alissa York.
About RBC's Commitment to Community and Sustainability
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank and one of the largest
banks in the world, based on market capitalization. For more
information, please visit rbc.com. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social, and
environmental leaders and is listed on the 2014 Dow Jones
Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North American Index, the Jantzi
Social Index, and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC is one of Canada's Greenest
Employers, and one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible
Corporations.
RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations,
sponsorships, and employee volunteer activities. In 2013, RBC
contributed more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including
donations and community investments of more than $69 million and $35
million in sponsorships. Learn more at rbc.com/community-sustainability.
About the Writers' Trust of Canada
The Writers' Trust of Canada is a charitable organization that seeks to
advance, nurture, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing through a
portfolio of programs including literary awards, financial grants,
scholarships, and a writers' retreat. Writers' Trust programming is
designed to champion excellence in Canadian writing, to improve the
status of writers, and to create connections between writers and
readers. Canada's writers receive more financial support from the
Writers' Trust than from any other non-governmental organization or
foundation in the country. For more information, please visit writerstrust.com.
SOURCE RBC
