New Indigenous writing awards for emerging authors announced

The Indigenous Literary Studies Association (ILSA) announced it has launched a new Indigenous writing prize for emerging authors.

The inauguralIndigenous Voices Awards (IVAs) willsupportthe work of Indigenous writers with fiveawards for unpublished work totalling $10,000 and threeawards for published work totalling $15,000.

Funds for theawards were raised initially through a crowd-funded campaign begun by Toronto-based lawyer Robin Parker, who partnered with the Indigenous Literary Studies Association (ILSA) for the awards' administration, supplemented by funds raised byVancouver-basedwriter and editor Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

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Parker's idea for an award fund is in response to the uproar over an editorial published in Write magazine that argued in favour of "cultural appropriation" and a subsequent scandal involving several media executives including one fromCBC who tweeted thatthey would contribute money to an appropriation prize.

TheIVAswillsupport Indigenous literary works, includingnovels, creative nonfiction, short stories, poetry, orality, graphic novels, comics, slam, drama, music lyrics,screenwritingand other forms.

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Judges for the inaugural prize will include Shelagh Rogers,host of the CBC Radio program The Next Chapter, along with Indigenous writers Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Gregory Scofield, Richard Van Camp, Virginia Psmapo Bordeleau, Rachel Qitsualik-TinsleyandHaitian-Canadian poet Rodney Saint-loi.

The deadline for submissions in Jan. 31, 2018. The results of the 2017 competition will be announced in the spring2018.

The IVA will also offer an awardfor an emerging Indigenous writer and an award an established Indigenous writer, with prize amounts to be determined at a later date.

With files from CBC News