CANADA’S POET LAUREATE AMONG NOTABLE CANADIANS JUDGING NEW NATIONAL LITERARY PRIZE
Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize for Faith and Writing will award a total of $25,000
November 21, 2016
HAMILTON, ON— Some of the best minds in Canadian literature will judge the new Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize for Faith and Writing – a Faith in Canada 150 initiative designed to give voice to Canadians who recognize and write about the powerful truth, goodness, and beauty that faith brings to Canadian culture. More specifically, this award will call attention to our poets and short story writers from all across this nation whose faith animates their imagination and ours.
Poetry Judges
 Dr. George Elliott Clarke Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate |
 Dr. Todd Swift Poet, author, and writer-in-residence for Pembroke College – University of Cambridge, England |
 Dr. Deborah Bowen Professor of English at Redeemer University College and poetry critic |
Short Story Judges
 Dr. Randy Boyagoda President of PEN Canada, Professor of English, Principal & Vice-President of University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto |
 Susan Lynn Reynolds Novelish, poet, and triple winner of the Timothy Findley Creative Writing Award |
 Dr. David Staines Editor of the Journal of Canadian Poetry and Professor of English at the University of Ottawa |
The recognition of the role of religious belief in Canada’s past, present, and future is an important part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
Canadian writers and poets are invited to submit previously unpublished short stories or suites of poetry by 11:59 EST June 30th 2017. Winners will be recognized at a fall gala.
For further contest details, please, visit the Faith in Canada 150 website.
About Faith in Canada 150
Faith in Canada 150 is a program of Cardus that exists to celebrate the role of faith in our life together during Canada’s anniversary celebrations in 2017. For more than 450 years, faith has shaped the human landscape of Canada. It has shaped how we live our lives, how we see our neighbours, how we fulfill our social responsibilities, and how we imagine our life together. To learn more, visit: faithincanada150.ca/about
About Ross and Davis Mitchell
When Ross Mitchell passed away in December, 2013, he left behind a legacy of story telling. Although he was many things—lawyer, entrepreneur, philanthropist—his wife Davis recalls that what most people remembered about him were his stories, and particularly how his faith was expressed through his stories. Davis, with a Masters in Theological Studies and a career as a spiritual director, is no stranger to the powerful role that stories play in spiritual growth, and much of her work has focused on the importance stories and faith play in healthy lives.
After graduating from the University of Toronto with a BA in English literature, Ross went on to Law school at the University of Toronto. After just over half a decade of practicing law, he left to establish Madison Chemical, a company that would grow into a successful, international corporation. Ross and Davis leveraged this success to launch The Mitchell Foundation in 2000, whose goal was to sponsor and support faith-based organizations who were seeking to bring their message into the contemporary Canadian society.
About Cardus
Cardus is a think tank dedicated to the renewal of North American social architecture. It conducts independent and original research, produces several periodicals, and regularly stages events with Senior Fellows and interested constituents across Canada and the U.S. To learn more, visit: www.cardus.ca and follow us on Twitter @cardusca.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Daniel Proussalidis
Cardus – Director of Communications
613.241.4500 x508
dproussalidis@cardus.ca