Debut author jaye simpson garners national award recognition

The Writers’ Trust of Canada announced the finalists for the Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers on May 26, 2021, and we're thrilled to announce that Nightwood poet jaye simpson--whose powerful debut collection of poetry, it was never going to be okay, was published in 2020--was named as one of three writers in the running for the honour.

The Dayne Ogilvie Prize is presented annually to an emerging writer from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, questioning, intersex, pansexual, asexual, or androgynous community whose published work to-date demonstrates great literary promise. Prize finalists receive $1,000.00, while the winner is awarded $10,000.

The jury for the 2021 Dayne Ogilvie Prize describes simpson and their work as “… masterful, unpredictable, and artistically undeniable. They command every corner of the page with authenticity and finesse, taming their work with strength and authority… They are a vital part of Canada’s literary future: when simpson speaks, you listen.”

The prize winner will be announced in a digital video on June 23, 2021. Congratulations jaye!