Grateful for the Honour

Last weekend, the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop honoured me with the Kouhi Award.

LitFest offered two days of writerly events,
including the Saturday banquet with excellent food!

Thank you!

Flowers are always welcome

Here's how they choose people for this award: "The Kouhi Award was established by NOWW in 1999 to recognize 'outstanding contributions to the literature of Northwestern Ontario.' It is named in honour of poet Elizabeth Kouhi."

My husband, Roy Blomstrom, was honoured last year. Given the range and quality of his writing--plays, poems, short prose, now three novels, various contest wins and shortlistings--I was especially surprised to be recognized.

I'm so grateful. It's humbling to feel seen in this way. 

One of the weirdest parts of writing something to share is that feeling of exposure. Yes, you sent your writing out into the publishing world, and you knew that meant it might be published--shared on a platform larger than yours alone. 

That was the GOAL, right? And I love that people are reading my work, whether they LIKE it or simply RESPOND to it or even actively struggle with it. I hope spending their precious time interacting with my work has been of value to them.  

This recognition is a different kind of honour. I'm so very grateful to NOWW for the workshops, readings, and opportunities for service. And truly, to everyone who's helped me along the way.

And of course I'm grateful for the ability to turn, again, to the page, to spend more time with imaginary friends.