posted on Nov. 20: Main Street anthology highlights writing of McMaster students

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Students enrolled in McMaster University's Certificate in Writing Program fulfilled some of their dreams last night at the book launch for the fourth volume of Main Street: The Anthology of the McMaster Certificate in Writing Program.

The award-winning anthology series published by the Centre for Continuing Education features selected short Canadian fiction and poetry from students in the writing program. In all, 34 distinct voices speak on many different topics, including rites of passage, the writing experience, the forgotten and abandoned, people and experiences of other cultures, death and deceit, amusing anecdotes, growing old – all revealing slices of life.

Held at the University Club, the evening featured guest appearances by Faculty of Humanities writer-in-residence Ven Begamudri and writing student and comedienne Amy Sloan-Forderer.

The evening culminated in the presentation of the Volume Four Author Awards. Writing program co-ordinator Joanne Kehoe said, “The pieces were of a fascinating variety – it was like judging the merits of the literary equivalent of apples and oranges.”

The award recipients were:

Nancy Walsh Memorial Prize: Hamilton resident Anne Edwards for Do Unto Others


CCE Poetry Prize: Linda Parker for Impressions of The Boat at Giverny


Titles Bookstore Prize I: McMaster pathology professor Ross Pennie for Dokta?


Titles Bookstore Prize II: Robert Love for A Single Misstep

McMaster employees featured in Main Street, Volume 4 include Nancy Kolenski, Ann Mohide, Rickie Pattenden, Ross Pennie, RoseAnn Prevec, Laurel Ann Stuart and Jennifer Walsom.

Last year's anthology is currently up for the Hamilton and Region Arts Council Award for Best Anthology. The HARAC awards ceremony takes place tomorrow.

Copies of Main Street, Volume 4 are available for purchase at the Centre for Continuing Education, Room 116, Commons Building or next week at Titles Bookstore.