on the Verge Writing Contest
What is on the Verge?
on the Verge Writing Contest showcases and celebrates emerging UVic student voices with an annual theme under the broad rubric of equity, diversity and human rights. As a reformulation of the 10-year running Diversity Writing Awards, we carry forward the spirit of diversity under a broader umbrella and with a renewed spirit of creative exploration. The contest is co-sponsored by UVic Libraries and Equity and Human Rights (EQHR) with significant support from other units on campus.
Enter the contest
Full contest guidelines are found on the required entry form. Contact otvcontest@uvic.ca for more information about the contest.
2022 Contest Theme: Solidarity
The need for solidarity in the current global context is brought home to us with every news cycle. Crises ranging from climate change, to the pandemic, to human rights inequities and gender-based violence, are bringing a critical awareness to our responsibilities as individuals, both to our communities and the planet. With the rising tide of calls for social and environmental action, what are the possibilities for solidarity? How can creative expressions of solidarity unite and move us towards meaningful ways to address our interconnectivity and overcome these crises and injustices?
The 2022 celebrity judge is Robin Stevenson.
About Robin Stevenson
Robin Stevenson is the author of 29 books for young readers, ranging from picture books to young adult novels and non-fiction. She was the winner of the 2020 Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize for her book My Body My Choice, and her book Pride won a 2017 Stonewall Honor. Her books have been finalists for many other awards, including the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Lambda Literary Awards, and numerous reader’s choice awards, and have been translated into a number of languages. Robin launched three new books this year: a picture book called Pride Puppy (Orca), a middle-grade non-fiction book called Kid Innovators (Quirk), and a young adult novel called When You Get the Chance (Running Press Kids). Robin is a former social worker and crisis counsellor, and has also taught creative writing and worked as a freelance editor. She lives on Vancouver Island with her family.