The Writers' Collective

Better than Christmas for us writerly folk, it’s Award Season!!!

And if you’re like a certain whimsical poet, it is that time of year when the poet let’s her fantasies abound and dreams about winning the adoration of her peers – not to mention a pretty sweet payday – and practices her acceptance speech in the shower (not to mention talks in third person just because she’s pretending to be important and important writerly folk do that, don’t they?!).

Ok, maybe it’s just me. But for those of you to whom the GGs and the Giller are like the Golden Globes and the Oscars are to normal people, this is the season of merriment!!

the list this year: the GGs or Governor General Awards hands out precious medals in several literary categories and in both official languages, and has a long and impressive history – read some stories here. My personal fave involves one of my favourite people on the planet, my Leonard! … that’s Mr. Cohen to you by the way!

“In 1969 poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen declined the award for his winning collection, Selected Poems 1956-1968 (1968). According to the Globe and Mail (28 May 1969, p. 6), Cohen would not accept the honour because “the world is a callous place and he would take no gift from it.” “On the night of the award ceremony, he partied at Jack McClelland’s hotel room with fellow authors and declared: “I would like to be Governor-General” (Globe and Mail, 17 May 1969, Entertainment and Travel section, p. 25).

Something that is not all that far off today as it was forty years ago, as a certain facebook group will attest to, click here to join!

And then we have the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

This one is fun too. the list this year…. the Giller is only in its 16th year but is just as fun to follow – to place bets on who the winner will be and what not – plus it’s actually televised!! Writers always think it’s amazing when they are actually televised!!! And so do I!! Click  here for more Giller news and history.

Recent winners include my man (well not mine per say, but someone who I am proud to have met and shared thoughts with) Joseph Boyden won in 2008 for Through Black Spruce, and is actually in Winnipeg TODAY launching his new book from the Extraordinary Canadians Series about Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont – you can see why I like this –  see a recent interview from mediaindigena – here!!

So watch, look, listen, dream! And I wish you ALL the merriest of Awards Seasons!!