Deadline to Submit: August 1, 2023
The Quebec Writers’ Federation is now accepting written nominations from members of the community for the Judy Mappin Community Award. The prize is named for the first recipient of the QWF Community Award in 1995, who quietly but fiercely promoted generations of Canadian writers in her long career as a bookseller at The Double Hook bookstore in Westmount, Quebec.
This award is given to a member of the extended literary community who has made a significant and longstanding contribution to the development and/or dissemination of English-language literature in Quebec. Candidates must be living at the time of their nomination, and those who have already won the award are not eligible.
Current board members or major donors ($5,000 and up), named or anonymous, are not eligible for nomination for this prize in the year of their service or donation. If you wish to nominate someone and are uncertain as to whether they are eligible, please contact Lori Schubert at the QWF office.
Criteria for Nomination:
- Proposed nominees must have made their contributions to the community for a period of ten years or more. (Provide evidence of the duration of your nominee’s contribution.)
- The work of the nominee must have furthered English-language literature in Quebec. (Describe how your nominee’s work has contributed towards the development and/or dissemination of that literature.)
- The nominee’s work must have been unique and/or of long-lasting value to the community.
- Nominees who are in the business of publishing, promoting or teaching literature must have gone beyond the boundaries of their job description to enrich the English-language literary community.
How to Submit
To submit a nomination, please send the name of your candidate and a 500-word description of relevant activities corresponding to the criteria above to [email protected] by August 1, 2023. Your name should be clearly indicated in the document.
Nominations may also include a CV, indicating the nominees’ activities over the course of their career.
Please note that decisions will be made based on the thoroughness and quality of the applications as well as the qualifications of the candidates.
QWF retains the right not to award the prize in a given year should no outstanding candidate be put forward. If a prize is awarded this year, it will be presented at the QWF Awards Gala on Monday, November 13, 2023.
Past Recipients:
- 1995: Judith Mappin, bookseller
- 1996: Bryan Demchinsky, journalist, book section editor at The Gazette
- 1997: Shelley Pomerance, arts broadcast journalist
- 1998: Simon Dardick and Nancy Marrelli, publishers, Véhicule Press
- 1999: Mireille Goulet, lawyer, advocate for writers’ rights
- 2000: Patricia Pleszczynska, CBC Radio deputy director of English programming
- 2001: Germain Lefevre, cultural advisor, visual arts and literature, Conseil des arts de Montréal
- 2002: Linda Shohet, director, Centre for Literacy of Quebec
- 2003: Linda Leith, writer, founder/artistic director of Blue Metropolis Foundation and Literary Festival
- 2004: Margaret Goldik and Ian McGillis, co-editors of the Montreal Review of Books
- 2005: Guy Rodgers, writer, executive director of the English-Language Arts Network
- 2006: Julie Keith, writer, past president of the Quebec Writers’ Federation
- 2007: André Vanasse, writer, publisher, XYZ Éditeur, activist for the writing community
- 2008: Mary Soderstrom, writer and advocate for the writing community
- 2009: Luci and Adrian King-Edwards, owners of The Word bookstore
- 2010: Ilona Martonfi, founder, producer and host of The Yellow Door Poetry and Prose Reading Series
- 2011: Endre Farkas, editor, publisher and long-time promoter of the English-language arts
- 2012: Steve Luxton, writer, publisher, editor, teacher and mentor
- 2013: No prize—honoured the “Founding Members of FEWQ, QSPELL, and QWF”
- 2014: Elizabeth Macdonnell, librarian at the Vega Branch of the Montreal Children’s Library
- 2015: Maya Munro Byers, owner of Babar Books and (formerly) Babar en Ville
- 2016: Rana Bose, author, playwright, poet and dramaturge, and moving force Montreal Sera
- 2017: Philip Lanthier, professor, editor, founder of Matrix magazine, and the Knowlton Literary Festival
- 2018: Lynn Verge, executive director of the Atwater Library & Computer Centre
- 2019: Louis Rastelli, for his work championing underground publishing and dedicated service to Montreal’s independent writing community
- 2020: Jan Jorgensen, for her hard work, leadership, and longstanding personal commitment to community in all its forms
- 2021: Richard King, for dedicating almost 50 years of his life to serving readers, promoting books, and supporting the English-language writing community;
and
H. Nigel Thomas, for offering advice and opportunity to scores of students and writers, always with generosity, humility, and good humour - 2022: Ian Ferrier, for his lifelong commitment to leading, supporting, and inspiring writers and artists in Montreal and beyond
For more information: [email protected] or 514-933-0878