The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is happy to announce the launch of the 2nd Annual Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers Who Write!
This year, Author Jeananne Kirwin and the Rotary Club of Spruce Grove have enthusiastically joined in the effort to help give voice to Indigenous mothers. Together, we share the vision of effecting positive changes in our community through stories.
Because of the generosity of our sponsors, we will award three scholarships this year: 1st place $3000, 2nd place $1000, 3rd place $500.
We are so happy to have Tlicho Dene author Richard Van Camp and Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis, a proud member of the Nipissing First Nation be our judges.
Deadline: December 15
Submission Guidelines:
If you are an emerging First Nations, Metis or Inuit writer and mother living in Alberta and are interested in applying for the Kemosa Scholarship, please send the following to [email protected]
1. A sample of your writing (no more than 15 pages) — either prose, poetry, nonfiction, fiction and/or illustrated literature, e.g. graphic novel, comic, etc.
2. A cover letter describing why the scholarship is important for you.
3. Previous entrants may resubmit, as long as you have not won a scholarship within 24 months.
4. The deadline for scholarship submission is December 15, 2018. Winners will be announced by mid-January.
Sponsors
We are so grateful to the Sponsors:
Background
As a Vietnamese immigrant to Canada, I am fascinated by the stories of this land and its people. In 2017, after speaking with renowned author Richard Van Camp and learning more about the struggles of Indigenous women, I was moved to found the Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Mothers Who Write.
As a writer and mother of three young children, I know how difficult it is to find time to write. Financial constraints can make this time even more difficult. Fortunately, I also work as a physician and therefore, I felt that I, in some way, could help my fellow aspiring writers focus on their creativity, to help give voice to Indigenous mothers who write.
Last year, my initial intention was to award $1000 scholarship to an emerging Indigenous writer, but because of the high calibre of the submissions, I, in the end, awarded scholarship funds to four emerging writers.
1st Prize $1000 – Rhonda Gladue – Edmonton
2nd Prize $500- Catherine Lafferty – Yellowknife
3rd Prize $250 – Brittany Johnson – Beaumont
Honourable Mention – Paige Cardinal – Edmonton
[button link=”https://writersguild.ca/product/donate-to-the-wga/” size=”large” bg_color=”#aa9949″ border=”#aa9949″ window=”yes”]Donate to the Kemosa Scholarship[/button]