Inaugural Shaftesbury Creative Writer-in-Residence Appointed

Victoria College is delighted to announce that Canisia Lubrin has been appointed the inaugural Shaftesbury Creative Writer-in-Residence for 2021-22.

Born in St. Lucia, Lubrin is a renowned Canadian poet and fiction writer who was recently named poetry editor at McClelland & Stewart. Her debut poetry collection, Voodoo Hypothesis, explores race, oppression and colonialism, while her latest work, The Dyzgraphxst, addresses themes of selfhood, capitalism and climate change.

“Warmest congratulations to Canisia on the international acclaim that her work has received! We are honoured to welcome her to Victoria College as the inaugural Shaftesbury Creative Writer-in-Residence. Her writing, mentorship and literary community-building will make a wonderful contribution to Vic’s dynamic culture of creative expression,” says Angela Esterhammer, principal of Victoria College.

The Shaftesbury Creative Writer-in-Residence was established to support creative writing and enhance the learning that takes place in the Creative Expression and Society program, and the Norman Jewison Stream of the Vic One program. Lubrin brings a wealth of experience to the position, having taught Creative Writing at OCAD, U of T’s School of Continuing Studies, and the University of Guelph. She was also the Writer-in-Residence for Queen’s University in 2019.

Lubrin’s work has garnered widespread recognition–some of her recent accolades include winning the 2021 OCM Bocus Prize for Caribbean Literature, as well as being named a 2021 recipient of the prestigious Windham-Campbell prize awarded by Yale University. She has also been shortlisted for Canada’s Griffin Poetry Prize and the Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry.