Journey Prize Winner Announced
Toronto, Ontario (Wednesday, April 2, 2008) On April 1, 2008, The Writers’ Trust of Canada announced the winners of its seventh annual Writers’ Trust Awards. As part of this prestigious event, the $10,000 Writers’ Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize was presented to Victoria-based writer Craig Boyko for his story “OZY.” In recognition of the vital role literary journals play in discovering new writers, McClelland & Stewart also gave its own award of $2,000 to PRISM international, the magazine that first published and submitted Craig Boyko’s story. The finalists for the Journey Prize are Krista Foss for “Swimming in Zanzibar” (published by The Antigonish Review) and Rebecca Rosenblum for “Chilly Girl” (published by Exile: The Literary Quarterly)

Craig Boyko for “OZY” (published by PRISM international)
The promise of fame, immortality, and triple force fields enthralls a young boy when the kids in his neighbourhood vie for a coveted spot on an arcade game’s high-scores list.

Craig Boyko is the author of the short story collection Blackouts. His stories have appeared in numerous publications, including The Malahat Review, The New Quarterly, Descant, Grain Magazine, PRISM international, and two previous volumes of The Journey Prize Stories. This is his fourth nomination for the Journey Prize. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, he lived in Calgary for several years before moving to Victoria, British Columbia.

Krista Foss for “Swimming in Zanzibar” (published by The Antigonish Review)
A near-drowning in the Indian Ocean reveals difficult truths to a documentary filmmaker during what is supposed to be a career-advancing trip.
 
Krista Foss is a fiction writer, journalist, and college instructor who lives in Hamilton, Ontario. “Swimming in Zanzibar” was her first published piece of fiction when it appeared in The Antigonish Review. Her non-fiction work has been twice nominated for a National Magazine Award. She is currently at work on a novel and several short stories.

Rebecca Rosenblum for “Chilly Girl” (published by Exile: The Literary Quarterly)
In a modern fairytale with a twist, a woman who is always cold is given an unexpected gift.

Rebecca Rosenblum completed her Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing at the University of Toronto in 2007. “Chilly Girl,” her first published story, appeared in Exile: The Literary Quarterly. Since then, her work has appeared, or is scheduled to appear, in echolocation, The Danforth Review, Hart House Review, The New Quarterly, Qwerty, and 08: Best Canadian Stories. Her first collection of stories, Once, will be published by Biblioasis in 2008. She lives, works, and writes in Toronto.