Writers’ Trust announces nominees for LGBTQ+ Dayne Ogilvie Prize

TORONTO – A memoir, a play and a short story collection have been nominated for the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s Dayne Ogilvie Prize.

The $10,000 award goes to an emerging LGBTQ+ writer for their debut book in any genre.

The organization says jurors selected “Scenes from the Underground,” a memoir by Gabriel Cholette and translated by Elina Taillon, for its unapologetic approach to telling queer stories of excess.

The jury praised the play “Body So Fluorescent” by Amanda Cordner and David di Giovanni as a rousing examination of anti-Blackness in queer spaces.

And they nominated “Chrysalis” by Anuja Varghese, saying the collection blends Hindu folklore with magical realism to explore issues of colonialism and queerness.

The award will be handed out at the annual Writers’ Trust Awards on Nov. 21.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2023.