Sheridan is proud to recognize professor Alexander Hollenberg for making CBC’s prestigious national Poetry Prize longlist for his work, Cod Jigging Near Twillingate.
Hollenberg is a professor of Storytelling and Narrativity in Sheridan’s School of Humanities and Creativity and one of 31 writers to make the list out of 3,000 entries.
The CBC Literary Prizes are open to the public and are among the most popular in the country, recognizing and celebrating excellence in contemporary writing. A team of readers from across the country read the entries and determined the longlist.
The inspiration for Hollenberg’s longlisted poem comes from a particularly meaningful cod jigging excursion that he and his partner experienced on their honeymoon. Cod jigging refers to fishing for cod, using a piece of fishing line in place of a fishing rod.
"Sharing your art with the world requires the courage to be vulnerable. It’s like taking a piece of your heart out and putting it on show," said Stephanie Samboo, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHASS). "I am so proud and thrilled that Alex decided to do just that. Along with my colleagues in FHASS, we celebrate with Alex this wonderful recognition of his work."
Hollenberg is known for his warmth and enthusiasm as a colleague and professor and brings a critical and sensitive intellectual rigour to his teaching, writing, and to his poetry.
"I'm humbled to be counted among a group of supremely talented poets from across the country," said Hollenberg.
"The longlist is a testament to the vibrancy of Canadian poetry and the hard work of crafting imagination into words. Moreover, just to have my poems read by this year's judges -- Louise Bernice Halfe, Canisia Lubrin, and Steven Heighton -- is a sincere honour. They are inspiring artists, each of them."
The shortlist will be announced on November 18, and the winner will be announced on November 24. The winner will receive a $6,000 prize from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and will have the chance to attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
Four finalists will each receive $1,000 and have their work published on CBC Books.