Maggs’ Hockey Goalie “Golden” at 2010 Kobzar Literary Awards

By John Pidkowich

In a league with the most worthy of cultural, educational and humanitarian events, the Ukrainian and literary community once again came together to celebrate and applaud the literary arts in Canada. In her opening remarks, event Committee Chair Alla Shklar welcomed the attendees supporting the sold-out Kobzar Literary Award 2010 Ceremony and Dinner, presented by the Shevchenko Foundation and held on March 6 at the Palais Royale Ballroom situated on Toronto’s lakeshore.

Actor, producer and writer Fred Keating was introduced as Master of Ceremonies to lead an extraordinary evening, who in turn introduced the “Kobzar Concert Orchestra” in the person of Alexander Sasha Boychouk at the piano and by other marvellous musical means. Performed by award-winning actress, playwright and producer Lauren Brotman, the audience was introduction to the short listed books and authors reading excerpts from their work, tastefully delivered between dinner courses.

Given context, it is only appropriate for the Kobzar Award Ceremony to be held during the month Taras Shevchenko was born (March 9) and died (March 10). 

Through conviction and determination, the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko launched the Kobzar Literary Award in 2006 with the goal to contribute to the literary arts of Canada by providing writers with an incentive to explore Ukrainian Canadian themes. The award evening’s four short-listed authors for the third biennial Kobzar Award are seasoned writers who have chosen to create and deliver through poetry, well-documented research, and creative imaginary treatments. These short-listed works were deemed worthy by a panel of the writers’ esteemed peers.

MC Keating introduced some special guests present at the event: Senator Raynell Andreychuk, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal MP for Etobicoke Centre, The Very Reverend Father Provincial Larry Kondra of the Eastern Rite Yorkton Province of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Ontario Arts Council Director of Granting Programs Billyann Balay and Literature Officer John Degen. Through the course of the evening, recognition was paid by Dr. Christine Turkewych, Kobzar Program Director to Ulana Snihura, 2009 Kobzar Writer’s Scholarship recipient at Humber School for Writers, who is completing a historical novel that presents the horrors of the Holodomor, and acknowledgement was given to Antanas Sileika, Artistic Director, Humber School for Writers.

On behalf of the audience and the  Kobzar Award Committee, a gesture of respect and appreciation of the authors’ work and presence at the award ceremony was offered with the presentation of a commemorative plaque to each finalist by notable sponsors: Ian Ihnatowycz to Elizabeth Bachinsky for her book of poetry God of Missed Connections; Eugene Roman to Dr. Paul Laverdure for Redemption and Ritual, the history of the Eastern Rite Redemptorists of North America; Louise Temerty to Randall Maggs for Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems; and Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Canada Erast Huculak and Yarmila Buka-Huculak to Murray Andrew Pura for Zo.

Having run its course, as the Awards evening dinner approached its end, MC Keating offered appreciation for the authors’ reading their work. Described as grand illustration of their work, the authors were thanked for making movies in the readers’ minds. “You allow us to allow us to create all of those images that your words conjure up for us. Thank you to our contemporary Kobzars of the evening for taking us to the past, the future very deeply in an expressed moment. The lives you create, writers, enrich our own,” summed-up Keating.

Anticipation of the winning finalist swelled until, in true Awards night manner and excitement, Randal Maggs’ Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems by Brick Books was announced the winner of the 2010 Kobzar Literary Award.

In concluding the formal portion of the Awards Ceremony, Shevchenko Foundation President Andrew Hladyshevsky thanked adjudicators Sandra Birdsell, Janice Kulyk Keefer, Kerri Sakamoto and Richard Scrimger whose combined work stretched in excess of 2,000 hours, Marta Harris for a gala fundraiser in Winnipeg raising $60,000 for the awards, and expressed gratitude for the tireless non-stop work of Dr. Christine Turkewych, Alla Shklar and a program committee of seventeen professional “women with white roses”: Oksana Zakydalsky, Odarka Chudoba, Irene Bilaniuk, Oksana Kuryliw, Sonia Holiad, Nadia Luciw, Irene Hordienko, Dr. Christine Kowalsky, Lesya Ferenc, Lesia Stefaniw, Olesia Romanko, Christine Waschuk, Winn Kuplowsky, Karen Franko-Yarmol, Liijanna Shklar, Sonia Solomon and Yarmila Huculak.