Gail Sidonie Sobat
Gail Sidonie Sobat (born January 3) is a Canadian writer, educator, singer and performer.[1] She is the founder and coordinator of YouthWrite, a camp for kids who love to write…just about anything!,[2] a non-profit and charitable society. She is also the director of the Spoken Word Youth Choir.[3] Her poetry and fiction, for adults and young adults, are known for her controversial themes.[4] For 2015, Sobat was one of two writers in residence with the Metro Edmonton Federation of Libraries.
Sobat founded YouthWrite in 1996,[5] and envisioned it as a multi-disciplinary camp for young writers.[6] A focus on many artistic forms as springboards to creative writing, provides a unique foundation to the camp. Courses offered include traditional poetry and fiction classes, but also drumming and words, movement and words, playwriting, journalism, illustration, writing for radio, screenwriting, songwriting, etc. The camp runs each January and July, and is overseen by Sobat, herself, a team of supervisors, and a slate of authors and illustrators who are professional working artists. 2015 marked the inaugural year for JustWrite, a camp for adults who love to write...just about anything! 2016 marked YouthWrite's 20th anniversary.
Her books include the Young Adult/ New Adult novels Jamie's Got a Gun (a graphic novel illustrated by Spyder Yardley-Jones), Not With A Bang, Ingamald, A Winter's Tale, A Glass Darkly, Gravity Journal, Chance to Dance for You[7] and a picture book, In the Graveyard, illustrated by artist, Spyder Yardley-Jones. She has also written two books of poetry, "How the Light is Spent" and Aortic Caprice, as well as a novel, The Book of Mary, for adult audiences.
Life and career
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Sobat spent her early years in Southern Alberta, living in Drumheller, then Shouldice, and on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation, now Siksika Nation, near the hamlet of Gleichen. She attended kindergarten at the Old Sun Residential School. Her father’s work with Indian Affairs brought her in contact with many First Nations people and childhood playmates, including those she met while living in St. Paul, near the Saddle Lake Cree Nation.
A daughter of first-generation Ukrainian-Canadian and Serb-Canadian parents, Sobat grew up in a family fraught with tensions between Slavic traditions and assimilation aspirations. As a striking Drumheller miner with socialist sympathies, her Ukrainian grandfather had been blacklisted by the RCMP in his youth.[8] Her Depression-era parents maintained socialist leanings throughout their lives.
Sobat completed Education and Arts degrees and a master's degree in English at the University of Alberta in Children’s Literature, specializing in fantasy.[9] She is also an award-winning teacher of middle, secondary, and post-secondary schools. For the Legacy Project, a high school program addressing the gulf between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students, Sobat and her co-creators (Wally Diefenthaler and Kaye Steward) were named finalists for the Governor General Excellence in Teaching History Award and garnered national recognition and international attention.[10]
Sobat was adjunct professor in the University of Alberta Faculty of Education,[11] and was the 2007 Canadian Authors Association (Alberta Chapter) Writer-in-Residence at the University of Alberta Bookstore.[12] She has also been Writer-in-Residence at Queen’s University and taught in Istanbul, Turkey at Ata College. Currently, she teaches creative writing and communications at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.
As a spoken word performer, she has been called a "word warrior",[13] and she has performed solo and with SWYC[14] on stage and in public performances and presentations across Canada, in Doha, Qatar; Cincinnati, Ohio; Monteagle, Tennessee; Bern, Switzerland; Helsinki, Finland; and Hanoi, Vietnam.[15]
Awards
Global TV Woman of Vision 2016-2017. [16]
Whistler Independent Book Awards Finalist for How the Light is Spent, 2016. [17]
CAA Fred Kerner Award Finalist for Jamie’s Got a Gun, 2016. [18]
Moonbeam Award (Silver) for Jamie’s Got a Gun, 2014.[19]
Top Ten Best Graphic Novels of 2014, Foreword Reviews, for Jamie’s Got a Gun, 2014. [20]
R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature, nomination for Not With a Bang, 2014.[21]
Orillia Public Library’s Battle of the Books nomination for Gravity Journal, 2014.
Edmonton Public Library's 2013 Alberta Readers' Choice long list nomination, Not With a Bang.[22]
Ontario Library Association’s White Pine 2012 Honour Book: Chance to Dance for You.[23]
Moonbeam Award 2011 for Chance to Dance for You.[24]
Stellar Awardhttp://www.stellaraward.ca/2011/index.php?sc=70 2011 nomination for Gravity Journal.[25]
Moonbeam Gold Awardhttp://www.moonbeamawards.com/ (IPPY) for Gravity Journal, 2009.[26]
Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book for Gravity Journal, 2009.
Ontario Library Association’s White Pine Honour Book, Gravity Journal, 2009.
Canadian Authors Association Exporting Alberta Award nomination, 2009.
R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature, nomination for A Glass Darkly, 2008.[27]
Canadian Children's Book Centre Choice Award for A Glass Darkly, 2007.
Gold IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Award) for The Book of Mary, 2007.
Ontario Library Association’s White Pine Award, nomination for A Winter’s Tale, 2005.
Canadian Children’s Book Centre Choice Award for A Winter’s Tale, 2005.
Canadian Children’s Book Centre Choice Award for Ingamald, 2004.
Jon Whyte Essay Competition, Honourable Mention, Writers Guild of Alberta, 2003.
Arts Award for Career Development, Alberta Heritage Scholarship, 2002.
English Language Arts Council Award, 2000.
Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (Finalist, Co-recipient), 1996.
The Writer’s Block Short Story Competition, First Prize, 1994.
Kalamalka New Writers Competition, poetry manuscript finalist, 1994.
Hope Writers' Guild Poetry Contest, First Prize, 1993.
Canadian Authors Association Short Story Competition, Honorable Mention, 1993.
Bibliography
Adult Fiction:
The Book of Mary - Sumach Press 2006
Adult Poetry:
Aortic Caprice - River Books 2003/2004
How the Light is Spent - Wintergreen Studios Press 2013
Young Adult/New Adult Fiction:
Ingamald - Spotted Cow Press 2001
A Winter’s Tale - Great Plains Publications 2004
A Glass Darkly - Great Plains Publications 2006
Gravity Journal – Great Plains Publications 2008
Chance to Dance for You - Great Plains Publications 2011
In the Graveyard - Bryler Publications-Little Fish Books 2011
Not With a Bang - Magpie Books 2012
Jamie's Got a Gun - Great Plains Publications 2014
Criticism:
"Not With a Bang, Neither With a Whimper: A fictional narrative about death and assisted suicide." in Death in Literature,[28] edited by Outi Hakola (Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2014).
"Why the prince has to bite it" in Mind Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies Series, edited by Scott Westerfeld (Benbella Books 2009).
The thing about elves is…" in Secrets of the Dragon Riders: Your Favorite Authors on Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Series, edited by James A. Owen (Benbella Books 2008).
"The Night in Her Own Country: The Heroine's Quest for Self in Ursula K. Le Guin's The Tombs of Atuan." Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams and the Genres of Myth and Fantasy Studies 21:3 (Summer, 1996): 24-32.
"If the Ghost Be There, Then Am I Crazy?": An Examination of Ghosts in Virginia Hamilton's Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush and Toni Morrison's Beloved." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 20:4 (Winter, 1995-1996): 168-174.http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/chq/summary/v020/20.4.sobat.html
Educational Writing:
Aboriginal Perspectives – English 10-1 and English 10-2, NorQuest Community College (2009).
Teacher's Guide and Student Handbook, Mountain Ash Poetry Series (Rowan Books 2000).
References
- ↑ http://www.gailsidoniesobat.com
- ↑ http://www.youthwrite.com
- ↑ http://youthwrite.com/swyc
- ↑ http://www.sumachpress.com/mary.htm
- ↑ http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Publications/ATA%20Magazine/Volume-93/Number-3/Pages/Gail-Sidonie-Sobat.aspx
- ↑ http://www.youthwrite.com
- ↑ http://www.greatplains.mb.ca/wordpress/?s=gail+sidonie+sobat
- ↑ Martynowych, Orest T. Ukrainians in Canada: the formative period, 1891-1924. CIUS Press, 1991, p. 442.
- ↑ http://ouralbertawriters.com/listing/gail-sidonie-sobat/
- ↑ http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Publications/ATA%20News/Volume%2031/Number%203/Pages/Class%20Acts.aspx
- ↑ http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/secondaryed/news.cfm?story=94180
- ↑ Branch Line Canadian Authors Association, January 2008
- ↑ Alberta Views July/August 2005
- ↑ http://www.theroar.ca/
- ↑ http://www.gailsidoniesobat.com
- ↑ http://globalnews.ca/tag/woman-of-vision/
- ↑ http://www.tidewaterfestival.com/whistler-independent-book-awards-2016-finalists/
- ↑ http://canadianauthors.org/national/caa-2016-literary-awards-shortlist/
- ↑ http://www.moonbeamawards.com/51/winners/2014-winners
- ↑ https://www.forewordreviews.com/blog/posts/immortality-not-required-the-best-graphic-novels-of-fall-2014/
- ↑ http://canlitforlittlecanadiansawards.blogspot.ca/2014/04/2014-alberta-literary-awards-short.html
- ↑ http://epl.bibliocommons.com/list/show/70525507_eplpicks_adult_books/156985883_2013_alberta_readers_choice_award_longlist
- ↑ http://www.accessola.org/ola_prod/OLAWEB/Forest_of_Reading/Awards_Nominees/White_Pine_Fiction_Nominees.aspx
- ↑ http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1483
- ↑ http://www.stellaraward.ca/2011/booklist.php
- ↑ http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1315
- ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/04/03/alberta-books.html
- ↑ http://www.cambridgescholars.com/death-in-literature