The John Lent Poetry/Prose Award is awarded annually by Kalamalka Press. The Vernon-based publishing house goes nationwide for its yearly search for works by writers "in the early stages of their writing careers, having not published more than two full-length books."
This week started with the announcement of year's winner. Susan Buis is the top winner for her manuscript, Sugar for Shock.
A local poet/author/musician was also on the list of those recognized.
"This year's pair of honourable mentions go to Bren Simmers for her poetry manuscript entitled Cheap Enough to Burn and to (Prince George's) Jeremy Stewart for his suite of poems and illustrations called immemoriam," said a statement issued by Kalamalka Press.
According to the publisher, Buis receives the $500 honorarium, and her manuscript will be published as a limited-edition handmade chapbook in the spring of 2018.
Her work was selected from a total of 31 manuscripts entered into this year's competition, which was judged by Okanagan College professors Jake Kennedy and Kevin McPherson, as well as a special guest juror, the award's namesake, John Lent himself.
Stewart is the founder of the Casse-Tte: A Festival of Experimental Music, the literary magazine Dreamland, and the Dreamland School of the Arts. He has been an administrator for Theatre North West, the BC Northern Exhibition, Island Mountain Arts and the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, among other cultural organizations and initiatives.
Stewart has created a number of albums of music, as well as works of poetry and prose. He is a frequently seen performer in the region.
In 2014, Stewart's second book Hidden City (published by Invisible Publishing) won the Robert Kroetsch Innovative Poetry Award after he was shortlisted three previous times. He is also the 2007 winner of the Barry McKinnon Chapbook Prize. His previous book, flood basement, was released by Caitlin Press in 2009.
