In honour of pride season, here are some books you should read, from Room’s past and present contest judges.
Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab (Doubleday Canada, 2014), a novel by Shani Mootoo. Shani is judging Room‘s Fiction Contest this year. The winning story will receive $1,000 and appear in issue 39.2.
School (Coach House Books, 2014) by Jen Currin. Jen is Room‘s Poetry Contest judge this year. Her winning selection will get $1,000 and appear in issue 39.2.
The Imposter Bride (HarperCollins Canada, 2012), a novel by Nancy Richler. Nancy judged Room‘s Fiction Contest contest in 2006. She selected Helyn Wolhwend’s “Seedlings” as the winning entry, which was published in Room 29.1 (Water).
One in Every Crowd (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2012), stories by Ivan E. Coyote. Ivan judged Room‘s 2009 Fiction Contest and selected penny k-kilthau’s “The Sum of Beth” as the winner, which was published in Room 39.1 (In Sad or Singing Weather). Ivan was also the commissioned author for Room 35.3 (Duality).
Breathing the Page: Reading the Act of Writing (Cormorant Books, 2010) by Betsy Warland. Betsy picked Najwa Ali’s “Writing, In Transit” as our CNF winner in 2013. Najwa’s piece went on to be nominated in the “One-of-a-Kind” category of the Canadian Magazine awards. It was first published in Room 37.2 (Expanding the Voice).
Having Faith in the Polar Girls’ Prison (Penguin Group, 2010), a novel by Cathleen With. Cathleen chose Menaka Raman-Wilms’s “Skin” as winner of Room‘s 2012 Fiction Contest. It was published in Room 36.2 (Collective and Collaborative).
How Poetry Saved My Life: Hustler’s Memoir (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2013), by Amber Dawn. Amber Dawn choose Rhonda Douglas’s “God Explains the Collapse of the Cod Fishery” as winner of Room‘s Fiction Contest in 2011. Rhonda’s piece was published in Room 35.2 (Shaping the Spark). Room also commissioned Amber Dawn to write a CNF piece for Room 35.4 (Labours).
