RELEASE: Finalists announced for 2022 BMO Winterset Award
Feb 23, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2023 (St. John’s, NL) – ArtsNL is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2022 BMO Winterset Award, celebrating excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador writing.
Readings by the three finalists will take place at The Rooms Theatre on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. The winner will be announced on March 30 at Government House.
The three finalists are:
Shelly Kawaja
The Raw Light of Morning
(Breakwater Books, St. John’s, NL)
Lisa Moore
This is How We Love
(House of Anansi Press, Toronto, ON)
Meghan Greeley
Hunger
(Breakwater Books, St. John’s, NL)
The winner will receive a prize of $12,500 and each of the two finalists will receive $3,000.
A total of 40 entries were submitted by publishers from across the country. All genres were represented by Newfoundland and Labrador authors (native-born or resident), including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s books.
The BMO Winterset Award honours the memory of Sandra Fraser Gwyn O.C.—St. John’s-born social historian, prize-winning author, and passionate promoter of Newfoundland and Labrador arts. Named for the historic house on Winter Avenue in St. John’s where Sandra grew up, the BMO Winterset Award was established in 2000 by her late husband, journalist and author, Richard Gwyn O.C.
This year’s jury members were Douglas Walbourne-Gough, Carmella Gray-Cosgrove, and Mary-Deanne Shears.
“We were honoured to read the submissions for this year’s BMO Winterset Award,” said the jury members. “With a reading list that showcases the immense cultural wealth of the province, creating a list of finalists was no easy feat. We are grateful to have been a part of this celebration of writing talent in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
“For several years, BMO has been a proud sponsor of the BMO Winterset Award—an honour designed to recognize distinction in all genres of writing,” said Dean Holloway, Regional Vice President Personal Banking, Newfoundland and Labrador. “Supporting the progress of literary excellence of both emerging and distinguished writers living in Newfoundland and Labrador reflects how BMO brings to life its Purpose to Boldly Grow the Good in business and in life.”
The BMO Winterset Award is managed by ArtsNL and is made possible through the generous support from BMO Financial Group, in partnership with the Sandra Fraser Gwyn Foundation.
About BMO Financial Group
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider—the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $1.14 trillion as of October 31, 2022, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets.
Media enquiries:
Charlene Jackson
Communications Officer, ArtsNL
charlene@artsnl.ca
Marie-Catherine Noël
Media Relations, BMO Financial Group (Atlantic)
MarieCatherine.Noel@bmo.com
514-877-8224
The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (now known as ArtsNL) is a non-profit Crown agency created in 1980 by The Arts Council Act. Its mission is to foster and promote the creation and enjoyment of the arts for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The Council is governed by a volunteer board of 13 appointed by government, reflecting regional representation of the province. This includes 10 professional artists who provide sectoral representation of the arts community; two community representatives (with an interest in the arts); and one representative of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation (non-voting). ArtsNL receives an annual allocation of $5 million from the Province to support a variety of granting programs, program delivery, office administration, and communications. It also seeks support from the public and private sector. It supports the following artistic disciplines: dance, film, multidiscipline, music, theatre, visual art, and writing.
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