NOWW calls for award nominees

Press Release

Northwestern Ontario writers who excel at their craft, and continue to contribute to the rich and diverse literary fabric of the region, as well as the organizations and individuals that help grow the writing community, will be honoured this spring with a pair of awards.
The Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW) is calling for nominations for The Kouhi Award and The Margaret Philips Award.
The Kouhi Award was established by NOWW in 1999 in honour of poet Elizabeth Kouhi.
The award is meant to recognize outstanding contributions to the literature of Northwestern Ontario.
“This is a significant year for The Kouhi Award,” said NOWW vice-president Susan Rogers.
“It was named in honour of Elizabeth Kouhi, who passed away on Jan. 5 this year at the age of 100,” she noted.
“A poet and children’s writer, she was the first recipient of the award.”
Past winners of The Kouhi Award include Charles Wilkins, Rosalind Maki, Penny Petrone, Bill MacDonald, Jean E. Pendziwol, and Joan Baril.
The Margaret Philips Award, meanwhile, was established in 2009 to recognize groups or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to publishing, promoting, or supporting literature in Northwestern Ontario.
“It has been a few years since the Margaret Phillips Award has been presented,” Rogers said.
“The intent is to recognize an organization or writer who supports the community of writing, as distinct from The Kouhi Award, which recognizes writers and their works.”
Nominations are now open and will be accepted until April 8 at midnight.
The winners will be announced at the NOWW Literary Gala on May 5.
All nominations must be accompanied by a statement of up to two pages explaining why the person or organization is deserving of the award.
A complete description of the awards, and the eligibility requirements, can be found at www.nowwwriters.ca
For more information, contact admin@nowwwriters.ca