Francine Cunningham (born 1984) is an Indigenous writer, artist, and educator. She is Cree and Métis.[1]

Her debut novel, On/Me, was nominated for the BC and Yukon Book Prize for The Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. as well as Indigenous Voices Award for a poetry book in English and was nominated for a 2021 City of Vancouver Book Award.[2]

Personal life

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Cunningham is originally from Calgary, Alberta.[3] She currently lives in Strathmore, Alberta. She lived in Vancouver, British Columbia for over 15 years.[3]

Career

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Cunningham graduated from Keyano College with a diploma in Visual and Performing Arts with conservatory style training in acting.[4] She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.[3]

In 2014, She participated in the Indigenous Writing Studio at the Banff Arts Center and placed second in the Our Story: Aboriginal Arts and Stories contest.[3]

At present, she runs creative writing and art workshops as a guest in First Nation's reserves across Canada.[2]

Her collection God Isn't Here Today won the 2023 ReLit Award for short fiction.[5]

Publications

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Anthology contributor

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  • "How to teach hard topics: The Native Youth Program and Indian Residential Schools as a case study" in Transforming Our Practices: Indigenous Art, Pedagogies, and Philosophies, published in 2017 by The National Art Education Association

Artwork

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Books

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Poetry

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Short creative nonfiction

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Short fiction

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Other

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Awards

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Awards Received by Cunningham[41]
Year Award Work Result Ref.
2014 Our Story: Aboriginal Arts and Writing Challenge "2822" Second Place [1]
2017 Hnatyshyn Foundation: REVEAL Indigenous Art Awards Winner [42]
Telus StoryHive's 10K Web-Series Edition "The Berg" Winner [35]
2018 Grain Magazine: Short Grain Contest "Starting A Religion" Winner
2019 Indigenous Voices Award, Unpublished Prose Category Teenage Asylums Winner
The Malahat Review's Far Horizon's Fiction Award "Glitter Like Herpes" Shortlist
The New Quarterly's Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest "Half-Breed" Shortlist
2020 BC and Yukon Book Prize, Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes On/Me Nominated
CV2 Lina Chartrand Poetry Award "Blood Quantum" Winner
Indigenous Voices Award On/Me Nominated
2021 The Malahat Review's Fiction Open Season Award "Late Nights Over Mayo" Shortlist
2023 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction God Isn't Here Today Longlist [43]
ReLit Award Winner [5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Indigenous Arts & Stories - 2822". Our Story. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  2. ^ a b "Award winning Indigenous writer". FrancineCunningham. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  3. ^ a b c d "Francine Cunningham". Goodreads. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  4. ^ Cunningham, Francine (April 25, 2016). "Author Note: Francine Cunningham". The Puritan. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  5. ^ a b "2023 ReLit Awards winners announced". Quill & Quire, October 2, 2023.
  6. ^ "ART + POETRY: FRANCINE CUNNINGHAM". WATCH YOUR HEAD. 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  7. ^ God Isn't Here Today
  8. ^ "Indigenous Brilliance". Room. 44 (3).
  9. ^ "Growing Room". Room Magazine. 44 (1). 2021.
  10. ^ "A Matter of Taste Chapter I." Koffler.Digital. 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  11. ^ ""Caged" – Francine Cunningham". Word and Colour. 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  12. ^ "New Poetry by Francine Cunningham: "Whales can't save us all—but they try"". Word and Colour. 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  13. ^ "thethismagazine.com". The This Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  14. ^ "New poem, "Resistance," by Francine Cunningham". Word and Colour. 2016-11-09. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  15. ^ Cunningham, Francine (Spring 2016). ""A conversation with a massage therapist"". The Maynard. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  16. ^ "HA&L Biographical Sketch • Francine Cunningham". HA&L Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  17. ^ Cunningham, Francine. "Half-Breed". The New Quarterly (150).
  18. ^ "Transcendence—by Francine Cunningham". QWF Writes. 2017-07-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  19. ^ "The Malahat Review Issue 195". The Malahat Review. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  20. ^ Cunningham, Francine (Spring 2021). "God Isn't Here". The Humber Literary Review. 9 (1): 4–7.
  21. ^ Cunningham, Francine (Fall 2020). "Francine Cunningham, "Asleep Till You're Awake"". The Malahat Review (212).
  22. ^ "2018 Short Grain Winners Announced!". Grain Magazine. August 6, 2018. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  23. ^ "Complex 2675: Issue One | JOYLAND". Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  24. ^ "Last". In Shades Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  25. ^ Cunningham, Francine (2016-10-28). "Litro #157: Nightmares: Secrets like Lead". Litro Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  26. ^ "#694". Nanoism: A place for twitter-fiction. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  27. ^ "Francine Cunningham | Pornorama | The Puritan Issue 30: Summer 2015". THE PURITAN. 2015-09-01. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  28. ^ "Writers". Active Fiction Project. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  29. ^ "Zipline". That's AWSM!. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  30. ^ "Surfing". That's AWSM!. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  31. ^ "Motocross". That's AWSM!. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  32. ^ "Flyboard". That's AWSM!. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  33. ^ "That's AWSM! Paragliding". That's AWSM!. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  34. ^ "Helicopter". That's AWSM!. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  35. ^ a b "The Berg: 2017 Web Series". Story Hive. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  36. ^ "An Invitation To A Ceremony of Healing: Tracey Lindberg's "Birdie"". PRISM international. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  37. ^ "Eisha Marjara Tackles Tough Issues Head On: A Review of "Faerie"". PRISM international. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  38. ^ Cunningham, Francine (2016-04-25). "Puritan Author on Writing Short Fiction". the Town Crier. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  39. ^ "Digital Zine Making: NYP | Citizens of Tomorrow". Citizens of Tomorrow. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  40. ^ "A Piece of Me". iPortal: Indigenous Studies Search Tool. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  41. ^ "WRITING". Francine Cunningham. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  42. ^ "Indigenous Awards | The Hnatyshyn Foundation". RJHF. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  43. ^ Deborah Dundas, "5 Canadians nominated for first Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for women and non-binary writers, worth $150,000 (U.S.)". Toronto Star, March 8. 2023.
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