The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is congratulating Shelly Kawaja on winning the 2022 BMO Winterset Award for The Raw Light of Morning. The prestigious award, which celebrates excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador writing, was presented yesterday afternoon at a ceremony at Government House in St. John’s.
Ms. Kawaja received an award of $12,500 for her work. The other two finalists, Meghan Greeley (Hunger) and Lisa Moore (This is How We Love) received awards of $3,000 each.
This is the third year in a row that all three finalists for the BMO Winterset Award have been female. In total, there were 40 works by Newfoundland and Labrador authors (either native-born or resident) submitted by publishers from across the country. Books from any genre, published in 2022, were eligible for nomination.
Each year, the BMO Winterset Award jury consists of celebrated Newfoundlanders and Labradorians from the arts sector. This year’s judges were Carmella Gray-Cosgrove, Douglas Walbourne-Gough and Mary-Deanne Shears.
Sponsored by BMO Financial Group and the Sandra Fraser Gwyn Foundation, the BMO Winterset Award honours the memory of Sandra Fraser Gwyn, a St. John’s-born award-winning journalist and author, as well as a passionate advocate of Newfoundland and Labrador’s arts community. Her husband, journalist and author Richard Gwyn, established the award in her memory in 2000.
Quotes
“Newfoundland and Labrador has a rich tradition of storytelling, which is evident through our highly productive and extremely talented writing community. The prestigious BMO Winterset Award celebrates this excellence in the literary arts and the way that the written word reflects on, examines and shapes our culture. I extend my warmest congratulations to Shelly Kawaja, Meghan Greeley and Lisa Moore for their achievements and contributions to this valuable sector.”
Honourable Steve Crocker
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
“Newfoundland and Labrador is known worldwide for our abundance of talented people. I congratulate Shelly Kawaja, Meghan Greeley and Lisa Moore for this well-deserved recognition. These women are helping to shape the literary landscape of our province and country.”
Honourable Pam Parsons
Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality
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BMO Winterset Award
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