Janice Kulyk Keefer Wins 2008 Kobzar Literary Award

 Oksana Zakydalsky

 TORONTO – The second biennial Kobzar Literary Award was presented to author Janice Kulyk Keefer for her work of fiction, The Ladies’ Lending Library. The award was accepted at a ceremony and dinner held on March 6, 2008 at the Palais Royale in Toronto. The event was attended by all four short listed authors – Ms Kulyk Keefer of Guelph, Marusya Bociurkiw of Toronto, Roman Paul Fodchuk of Winnipeg and Lisa Grekul of Kelowna/Vancouver as well as the Board of Directors of the Shevchenko Foundation and President Andriy Hladyshevsky.

The Shevchenko Foundation, initiator of the Kobzar Literary Award, provides the $25,000 award of which $20,000 is awarded to the author and $5,000 to the publisher for the promotion of the winning work. Taking part in the ceremony were two of the Kobzar Literary Award Honorary Patrons, the Honourable Senator Raynell Andreychuk and author Joy Kogawa.

The award granting event was organized by a volunteer committee co-chaired by Daria Diakowsky and Alla Shklar while television personality Fred Keating served as Master of Ceremonies. The program featured jazz singer Irene Atman, backed by a quartet of musicians - Danny McErlain, Duncan Hopkins, Kevin Dempsey and Reg Schwager. Ms Atman chose her musical repertoire to complement the themes of the four finalist books.

Almost 300 guests attended the event and sat at tables where centrepieces, designed by Odarka Chudoba, reflected the themes of the four books – even the chef of the Palais Royale got into the spirit of the evening reproducing some of the recipes in Ms Bociurkiw’s book Comfort Food for Breakups!

Among special guests and dignitaries attending the event were:  Archbishop Yurij Kalischuk, Bishop Stephan Chmilar: Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada  Dr. Ihor Ostash, Consul General Dr. O. Danyleiko; the Hon. Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity; Ms. Laura Albanese, Parliamentary Assistant to the Hon. M. Aileen Carroll, Minister of Culture and Minister Responsible for Seniors,  Mr. Borys Wrzesnewskyj, M.P. Etobicoke Centre, Mr. Roy Cullen M.P. Etobicoke North, Ms. Peggy Nash, M.P. Parkdale-High Park;  Mr. John Brotman, Executive Director, Ontario Arts Council, Mr. Antanas Sileika, Artistic Director, Humber School for Writers and  Mr. Geoffrey Taylor,  Artistic Director, International Festival of Authors.

The four short listed books for the award – Ms Kulyk Keefer’s The Ladies Lending Library, Marusya Bociurkiw’s Comfort Food for Breakups, Roman Paul Fodchuk’s Zhorna and Lisa Grekul’s Leaving Shadows – were chosen by a panel of four adjudicators: writer Sharon Butala, historian Modris Eksteins, author Laura Langston and editor John Metcalf. The process of the selection of the award winner, which ended with the Oscar-like surprise announcement on Thursday,  began two years ago during which time a total of 18 eligible works were submitted. Interest in the Kobzar Award has accelerated since its first announcement by the Shevchenko Foundation in 2004 and the leadership of Dr. Christine Turkewych as its Program Director. The Toronto Globe and Mail highlighted the short list on the day of the event as well as informed its readers of Ms Kulyk Keefer’s win in its Buzz column after the awarding ceremony.

In presenting the Award to Ms. Kulyk Keefer, the President of the Shevchenko Foundation, Andriy Hladyshevsky, underlined the vision of the Foundation in setting it: to create opportunities for all Canadian writers to explore Ukrainian Canadian themes that are relevant to Canadians. The actual Award raises the profile of the works of all the finalists and encourages all Canadians to buy their books and read them!

All photos: Lu Taskey