The Writers' Union of Canada is pleased to announce the short list of nominees for the 26th annual DANUTA GLEED LITERARY AWARD. The Award recognizes the best first collection of short fiction by a Canadian author published in 2022 in the English language. The Award consists of cash prizes for the three best first collections, with a first prize of $10,000 and two additional prizes of $1,000 each.
The jury this year comprised authors Cynthia Holz, Sally Ito, and Jack Wang, who determined the short list from 23 collections submitted, some by seasoned writers, others by authors being published for the first time. Those finalists are:
Nada Alic, Bad Thoughts (Vintage Books)
Kathy Friedman, All the Shining People (House of Anansi Press)
Kim Fu, Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (Coach House Books)
Rawi Hage, Stray Dogs (Knopf Canada)
Saeed Teebi, Her First Palestinian (House of Anansi Press)
The winners will be announced on May 25th at noon ET on The Writers’ Union of Canada’s Facebook page.
The Award was created as a celebration of the life of Danuta Gleed, a writer whose short fiction won several awards before her death in December 1996. Danuta Gleed’s first collection of short fiction, One of the Chosen, was posthumously published by BuschekBooks. The Award is made possible through a generous donation from John Gleed, in memory of his late wife, and is administered by The Writers’ Union of Canada.
Jury Comments on the Finalists for the 2022 Danuta Gleed Literary Award
Nada Alic, Bad Thoughts (Vintage Books)
Nada Alic’s arresting stories about dating, sex, marriage, and compulsive female fantasies are as dark and absurd as they are hilarious and entertaining. Throughout the collection are precise, unusual descriptions and images, unexpected plot turns, and incisive comments made by appealingly witty and self-deprecating narrators. Clever and original, Bad Thoughts can also be profound regarding loneliness, depression, the disappointments of modern life, and the search for meaning. Photo: Andrea Nakhla.
Kathy Friedman, All the Shining People (House of Anansi Press)
Kathy Friedman’s stories in All the Shining People zero in on Toronto’s South African Jewish community and on other outsiders contemplating a loss of culture and identity. Surprising, compassionate, and insightful, these memorable tales are both intimate and political, with vivid characters searching for connection and a sense of belonging and, in some cases, dealing with the repercussions of a past lived with apartheid. This is an honest and sophisticated collection. Photo: Zoë Gemelli.
Kim Fu, Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (Coach House Books)
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century presents a mesmerizing array of characters whose encounters with the world are alternately mythical and monstrous, technological and disturbing. There are surreal insect infestations, sea monsters, and winged youth — but also futuristic body printers, memory simulators, and time-altering cubes. Navigating these metaphorical and psychological worlds with dexterous turns of phrase and evocative prose, Kim Fu is masterful at telling stories that engage and astound the reader. Photo: L D’Alessandro.
Rawi Hage, Stray Dogs (Knopf Canada)
Ranging from Montreal to Warsaw, Tokyo to Berlin, and Beirut to Baghdad, Stray Dogs is a global collection that explores what it means to live between countries and continents. By turns satirical, allegorical, theoretical, and philosophical, these stories are also a trenchant meditation on photography and the illusive nature of the image. With elegance, erudition, and wit, Rawi Hage delivers a virtuoso performance on the personal and political ramifications of living in exile. Photo: Madeleine Thien.
Saeed Teebi, Her First Palestinian (House of Anansi Press)
Saeed Teebi’s Her First Palestinian is a powerful and propulsive debut collection of stories that dramatizes the experiences of the Palestinian diaspora. Compelling and complex characters displaced and removed from their historical homeland negotiate feelings of loss, estrangement, and complicity in Canada. Skillfully written with penetrating insight into the characters’ fractured identities, this book reveals a talented new Canadian voice. Photo: Eduardo Martins.
The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is the national organization of professionally published writers. TWUC was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers, and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers. Now over 2,600 members strong, TWUC advocates on behalf of writers’ collective interests, and delivers value to members through advocacy, community, and information. TWUC believes in a thriving, diverse Canadian culture that values and supports writers.
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For additional information:
John Degen, Chief Executive Officer
The Writers’ Union of Canada
jdegen@writersunion.ca
Date: April 26, 2023
