UBC Creative Writing, Canada’s leading writing program, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, March 15, with a 7 p.m. gala attended by more than 400 authors, alumni, instructors and publishers.
The sold-out event will feature “The World’s Greatest Book Club” live auction, with attendees bidding for a literary chat and home-cooked meal by award-winning UBC authors Joseph Boyden (The Orenda), Steven Galloway (The Cellist of Sarajevo) and Nancy Lee (Dead Girls) at the winner’s home.
Other highlights:
- Silent auction of arts and literary prizes, including a signed, first edition of Alice Munro’s book of short stories, Dear Life
- Performances by Canadian musicians John K. Sampson and Christine Fellows, former UBC Creative Writing writers-in-residence
- Launch of UBC’s minor degree in Creative Writing, which will enable students to complement their major studies with creative writing courses
- Publication of a limited edition anthology of stories by alumni
- Outstanding UBC and high school students in Creative Writing’s ‘New Shoots’ mentoring program receive $1,000 each from Scotiabank and UBC
“I am so excited to see all our alumni and old friends in the same room for the very first time,” says Prof. Steven Galloway, author and head of UBC’s Creative Writing Program. “When we started in 1963, Canadian Literature really was almost a dirty word. Fifty years later, Canada is now known globally for its award-winning literature. UBC has had an unparalleled impact on this transformation, and now attracts brilliant new writers not only from Canada, but around the planet.”
Details:
- Event: UBC Creative Writing Program’s 50th anniversary gala
- Date: Saturday, March 15, 2014, 7 p.m.
- Advance availability: Faculty members (Steven Galloway, Annabel Lyon) and student award winners are available
- Media registration: Interested media must register for this sold-out event in advance. Contact: Annabel Lyon, annabel.lyon@ubc.ca
- Location: Downtown Vancouver (Renaissance Harbourside Hotel)
BACKGROUND
About UBC’s Creative Writing Program
- Founded in 1963, UBC Creative Writing is the oldest and most successful creative writing program in Canada.
- 2013/14 enrolment: 320 students (240 MFA and 80 BFA)
- Launched Canada’s first online MFA program in 2005, with students from every continent.
- Offers writing instruction for fiction, creative non-fiction, children’s literature, film, TV, theatre, radio, graphic novel, new media, translation, and lyric and libretto.
- Faculty include: Joseph Boyden, Annabel Lyon, Steven Galloway, Nancy Lee, Timothy Taylor, Keith Maillard, Linda Svendsen and Bryan Wade.
- Alumni include: Annabel Lyon, Steven Galloway, Nancy Lee, Madeleine Thien, Hart Hanson, Charlotte Gill, Lee Henderson, Kevin Chong, Richard Van Camp, Jack Hodgins, Eden Robinson, Kevin Patterson, Michael Christie and Anosh Irani.
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