Local poet short listed for literary prize

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This article was published 21/10/2019 (2172 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In many ways, Catherine Hunter’s book, St. Boniface Elegies, represents an incredibly personal journey.

Hunter, who lives in St. Boniface, is on the short list for a Governor General’s Literary Award in the poetry category. Her book, which was published by Signature Editions, was released in the spring.

Along with Joan Thomas and her fiction book Five Wives, Hunter is one of two writers currently living in Winnipeg nominated for one of this year’s prestigious awards.

“I’m very glad to be on the short list,” said Hunter, who is a creative writing professor at the University of Winnipeg. “I’m very grateful that they paid this attention to my book. It’s good for poets to have our work read.”

According to www.mcnallyrobinson.com, St. Boniface Elegies “traces a poet’s relationship with her family and her community through poems about travel, love, illness, work, and the writing life.”

The book comprises of four sections — Submission, Winter Archive, The News, and The Reader. The life-changing impact that her husband Ron’s terminal illness diagnosis and death last year is at the core of the work.

“It’s a personal journey, and St. Boniface Hospital plays a role in the book,” Hunter said, adding the section called The News explores the couple’s life together, and Ron’s illness and diagnosis. “This is at the heart of the book.”

When it comes to what inspires her to write, Hunter said she has “always wanted to capture certain moments in life.”

“Whether it’s joyful or soulful, I’ve always paid attention to the world in which we live, and the experiences that we share,” she said.

Noting that she’s grateful to Signature Editions for supporting her — “I really appreciate them believing in me” — Hunter said imparting knowledge and support in her longtime role as a creative writing professor has been a natural complement to her own writing.

“It’s the best job in the world — and you can’t do it if you’re not a writer. It’s great to be able to experiment with my students and talk to them about the process, as well as share my experiences with them. I feel very fortunate to have this position.”

Hunter also offered an interesting insight into the comparison between writing full-time and part-time.

“When I was younger I used to think how great it would be to write full-time, but now I think that wouldn’t allow me to be as free to write what I want, so I think I’m in a good position,” she said.

According to a news release, the awards consist of are seven English-language categories, seven French-language categories. Each winner will receive $25,000, and the publisher will receive $3,000 to promote the winning book. Finalists will receive $1,000 each.

The award winners will be announced at ggbooks.ca on Oct. 29.