FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, June 19, 2023—The Editors’ Association of Canada (Editors Canada) has presented 6 national awards, including $7,150 in prizes, to 10 recipients.
Editors Canada’s annual awards recognize exceptional editors for their talent and dedication. The association supports the professional development of editors throughout their careers, and is proud to honour the outstanding editors and students in its midst. The cash awards are made possible by Editors Canada and its generous donors.
Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence
Fazeela Jiwa (she/they) (Halifax, Nova Scotia) received the 2023 Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence. Jiwa was awarded the $2,000 prize for her work on Frequently Asked White Questions by Ajay Parasram and Alex Khasnabish (Fernwood Publishing).
Claudette Upton Scholarship
Georgia Atkin (she/her) (Halifax, Nova Scotia) received the 2023 Claudette Upton Scholarship. Atkin has embarked on a freelance editing career and will soon receive her Publishing Certificate from Toronto Metropolitan University. She was awarded the $1,000 prize to help support her continuing professional development in editing.
Karen Virag Award
Adrienne Montgomerie (they/them) (Kingston, Ontario) received the 2023 Karen Virag Award. Known as SciEditor online, Montgomerie offers free resources and instructional videos on their website and is a seemingly endless resource in the Canadian and international copy editing community. They are a self-professed techie and one-time app developer who teaches editing and technology, and who has been developing science education resources for more than 25 years. Montgomerie received the $400 cash prize for exceptional efforts by an individual or organization to raise the profile of editing in their community.
Equity Fellowship
Editors Canada awarded the 2023 Equity Fellowship to three recipients:
Alex Elcombe (he/they) (Toronto, Ontario), not pictured
Emily Lam (she/her) (Toronto, Ontario)
Kay Pettigrew (she/her) (Montreal, Quebec)
The Editors Canada Equity Fellowship is designed to support editors who have traditionally been excluded by the publishing and editing industries, including editors who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour), 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and disabled.
Each fellowship is valued at $1,250.
Lee d’Anjou Volunteer of the Year Award
The Editors Canada President’s Award for Volunteer Service recognizes outstanding service to the organization by member volunteers. From among the nominations received for the President’s Award, one nominee is selected to receive the Lee d’Anjou Volunteer of the Year Award.
Gael Spivak (she/her) (Ottawa, Ontario) received the 2023 Lee d’Anjou Volunteer of the Year Award.
Spivak was recognized for years of service to Editors Canada. Whether through her leadership roles (including serving as president, helping to establish Editors Canada’s Equity Fellowship, and leading committees and national and international conferences), or through working behind the scenes to create and revise the association’s policies and procedures, she has contributed valuable time, effort and dedication toward making the association better for members.
Recipients of the 2023 President’s Award for Volunteer Service are as follows.
Sylvie Collin (elle/she) (Editors Québec)
Maureen McGuigan (she/her) (Editors British Columbia)
Emily Stewart (she/her) (Editors Ottawa–Gatineau)
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About Editors Canada
Additional information about Editors Canada awards can be found online.
Editors Canada began in 1979 as the Freelance Editors’ Association of Canada to promote and maintain high standards of editing. In 1994, the word “Freelance” was dropped to reflect the association’s expanding focus to serve both freelance and in-house editors. As Canada’s only national editorial association, it is the hub for 1,300 members and affiliates, both salaried and freelance, who work in the corporate, technical, government, academic, not-for-profit and publishing sectors. The association’s professional development programs and services include professional certification, an annual conference, seminars, webinars, and networking with other associations. Editors Canada has four regional branches: British Columbia; Toronto; Ottawa–Gatineau; and Quebec, as well as smaller branches (called twigs) in Atlantic Canada, Barrie, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton-Halton, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph and Manitoba.
Media contact
Michelle Ou (she/elle)
Senior Communications Manager
Editors Canada
communications@editors.ca