The Donald Windham Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes
1 appearances
-
Edition 12 (2024) Winner
M. NourbeSe Philip
エム・ナウルビース・フィリップ
M. NourbeSe Philip
Aliases:
Marlene Nourbese Philip
Pen Names:
M. NourbeSe Philip（Professional credit name used for publication）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1947-02-03 （Woodlands, Moriah, Trinidad and Tobago）
- Nationality
- Trinidad and Tobago, Canada
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Woodlands (Moriah), Trinidad and Tobago (birthplace) → Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, short story writer, lawyer (former)
- Active Years
- 1968-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of the West Indies | — | — | B.Sc.(Econ.) | 1960年代 | Trinidad and Tobago (campus) |
| University of Western Ontario | — | Political Science and Law (graduate studies) | Graduate degrees (political science, law) | 1968–1970s（在籍年は不確定） | Canada |
University of the West Indies
Degree:
B.Sc.(Econ.)
Period:
1960年代
Year of Graduation:
1968
Country:
Trinidad and Tobago (campus)
Received B.Sc.(Econ.) degree
University of Western Ontario
Political Science and Law (graduate studies)
Degree:
Graduate degrees (political science, law)
Period:
1968–1970s（在籍年は不確定）
Country:
Canada
Pursued graduate studies in political science and law; practised law in Ontario
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Casa de las Américas Prize | She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks (manuscript) | — | Casa de las Américas | winner |
| 1988 | Tradewinds Collective Poetry Prize | — | Poetry | Tradewinds Collective (Trinidad & Tobago) | 1st prize |
| 1988 | Tradewinds Collective Short Story Prize | — | Short Story | Tradewinds Collective (Trinidad & Tobago) | 1st prize |
| 1989 | Canadian Library Association prize for children's literature | Harriet's Daughter | — | Canadian Library Association | runner-up |
| 1989 | Max and Greta Abel Award for Multicultural Literature | Harriet's Daughter | — | Max and Greta Abel Award | first runner-up |
| 1990 | Guggenheim Fellowship (poetry) | — | Fellowship | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | fellow |
| 1991 | MacDowell Fellowship | — | Fellowship | MacDowell | fellow |
| 1995 | Lawrence Foundation Award | short story "Stop Frame" | Short Story | Lawrence Foundation for Prairie Schooner | winner |
| 1995 | Toronto Arts Award in writing and publishing | — | — | Toronto Arts Council | finalist |
| 2001 | Rebels for a Cause (Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto) | — | — | Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto | award |
| 2001 | YWCA Woman of Distinction (Arts) | — | Arts | YWCA | award |
| 2002 | Chalmers Fellowship | — | Poetry | Chalmers | fellowship |
| 2005 | Rockefeller Foundation residency in Bellagio | — | residency | Rockefeller Foundation | residency |
| 2020 | PEN/Nabokov Award for International Literature | — | — | PEN America | winner |
| 2021 | Molson Prize | — | — | Canada Council for the Arts (related) | winner |
| 2024 | Windham-Campbell Literature Prize | — | — | Yale University / Windham–Campbell Prizes | winner |
Casa de las Américas Prize
1998
Work:
She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks (manuscript)
Organization:
Casa de las Américas
Result:
winner
Tradewinds Collective Poetry Prize
1988
Category:
Poetry
Organization:
Tradewinds Collective (Trinidad & Tobago)
Result:
1st prize
Tradewinds Collective Short Story Prize
1988
Category:
Short Story
Organization:
Tradewinds Collective (Trinidad & Tobago)
Result:
1st prize
Canadian Library Association prize for children's literature
1989
Work:
Harriet's Daughter
Organization:
Canadian Library Association
Result:
runner-up
Max and Greta Abel Award for Multicultural Literature
1989
Work:
Harriet's Daughter
Organization:
Max and Greta Abel Award
Result:
first runner-up
Guggenheim Fellowship (poetry)
1990
Category:
Fellowship
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
fellow
MacDowell Fellowship
1991
Category:
Fellowship
Organization:
MacDowell
Result:
fellow
Lawrence Foundation Award
1995
Work:
short story "Stop Frame"
Category:
Short Story
Organization:
Lawrence Foundation for Prairie Schooner
Result:
winner
Toronto Arts Award in writing and publishing
1995
Organization:
Toronto Arts Council
Result:
finalist
Rebels for a Cause (Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto)
2001
Organization:
Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto
Result:
award
YWCA Woman of Distinction (Arts)
2001
Category:
Arts
Organization:
YWCA
Result:
award
Chalmers Fellowship
2002
Category:
Poetry
Organization:
Chalmers
Result:
fellowship
Rockefeller Foundation residency in Bellagio
2005
Category:
residency
Organization:
Rockefeller Foundation
Result:
residency
PEN/Nabokov Award for International Literature
2020
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
winner
Molson Prize
2021
Organization:
Canada Council for the Arts (related)
Result:
winner
Windham-Campbell Literature Prize
2024
Organization:
Yale University / Windham–Campbell Prizes
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Thorns
1980 poetryEarly collection exploring language, identity and aspects of diasporic experience.
languageidentitymigration
Salmon Courage
1983 poetryA collection marked by experimental language use addressing personal and political subjects.
experimental formsocial justice
She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks
1989 poetryA landmark collection dealing with language, silence and the legacies of colonialism; won Casa de las Américas Prize in manuscript.
silence and expressioncolonial legacywomanhood
Discourse on the Logic of Language
1989 essays/poeticsCollection of essays on language theory and the function of poetry.
linguisticspoetics
Zong!
2008 poem cycle / poetryA poem cycle based on the Zong massacre and the related legal records, examining language, memory and violence; has been presented in extended collective readings and performances.
memory of slaveryhistorical violencelanguage and law
Adaptations
- [reading performance] Zong! (collective reading/performance) (2012)
- [theatre (workshop)] Presentation as part of rock.paper.sistahz at Harbourfront (2006)
Translations
Harriet's Daughter
1988 novel (children/YA)A young-adult novel widely used in school curricula; has German translation, audio edition and stage/script adaptations.
coming-of-agerace and identity
Adaptations
- [stage] Harriet's Daughter (play) (2000)
- [translation (German)] Harriet und schwarz wie ich (1993)
Looking for Livingstone: An Odyssey of Silence
1991 novelA novel with experimental elements exploring silence and historical quest.
historical questsilence
Bibliography
- Thorns (1980)
- Salmon Courage (1983)
- She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks (1989)
- Discourse on the Logic of Language (1989)
- Harriet's Daughter (1988)
- Looking for Livingstone: An Odyssey of Silence (1991)
- Frontiers: Essays and Writings on Racism and Culture (1992)
- Showing Grit: Showboating North of the 44th Parallel (1993)
- CARIBANA: African Roots and Continuities - Race, Space and the Poetics of Moving (1996)
- Genealogy of Resistance and Other Essays (1997)
- Coups and Calypsos (1999)
- Bla_k: Essays and Interviews (2017)
- Zong! (2008)
Adaptations
- German translation, audio edition and stage adaptation of Harriet's Daughter
- Extended readings/performances of Zong! (Toronto, Bloemfontein, etc.)
Translations of Works
- Harriet und schwarz wie ich (German translation of Harriet's Daughter)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- experimental formswriting that intersects poetry with law and historypolitically and socially committed voice
- Recurring Motifs
- silencelanguage and powermemory and historylegacies of colonialism
Legacy
A Canadian writer known for experimental forms and strong commitment to social justice. Her body of work across poetry, fiction and essays is widely taught in universities and the subject of academic study; major works such as Zong! have international impact.
Academic Societies
- Canadian Literature Association
Trivia
- Moved to Canada in 1968 and practised law in Toronto before devoting herself to writing in 1983.
- She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks won the Casa de las Américas Prize while still a manuscript.
- Zong! has been presented in extended collective readings and performances.
- Recipient of the Windham–Campbell Prize (2024) and the Molson Prize (2021).