BRONWEN WALLACE PRIZE WON BY PARE AND JENSEN

 Caribbean Canadian Poet Wins Big

Faith Paré

By Stephen Weir

Last week, Afro-Guyanese Canadian poet Faith Paré was one of two new writers to win the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. She and Nayani Jensen, a writer and historian of science, each received $10,000.

Established in memory of writer Bronwen Wallace, the award is administered by the Writer’s Trust. This prize has a proven track record of helping talented developing authors secure their first book deal. Two $10,000 prizes are given annually for outstanding works of unpublished poetry and short fiction.

Faith Paré is a storyteller of Afro-Guyanese ancestry who writes poetry, performance pieces, and criticism. Her work delves into themes of pain, cultural displacement in a polarized world, and futurisms in the face of destruction, engaging with various traditions of Black cultural production. Born in Toronto and raised in Scarborough, she now lives and writes in Montreal.

Toronto’s Nayani Jensen, sharing the honour with Paré, brings her expertise as a historian of science to her writing, enriching her work with a deep understanding of historical contexts and scientific narratives.

The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award continues to highlight and support emerging writers, providing them with crucial opportunities to advance their literary careers. Both Paré and Jensen exemplify the award's mission, showcasing unique and powerful voices in contemporary literature.