Our 2021 Recipient: Glenda Fu
Glenda’s poetry was an outstanding submission among many impressive entries from towns and cities across the province. In Grade Seven, Glenda wrote a story that was selected by The Poetry Institute of Canada and Young Writers, and she has continued to develop her talent. She was the leader of her Campbell Collegiate (Regina) creative writing club since Grade Ten. In Grade Eleven, she wrote and directed her own play, “a satirical murder mystery set in 1950s Chicago.” Currently, she is attending the University of Toronto, where she is majoring in English with a minor in philosophy.
The judges were particularly impressed with the consistency of Glenda’s work, and noted in particular how there was “a simplicity in her language but a profundity in her ideas.” One judge noted, “Behind the apparent simplicity of these poems is a questioning mind. The poems have a refreshing clarity. The 17 poems are very consistent in their approach: they probe and seek answers with eyes wide open.”
When asked to comment on her work, Glenda replied, “I’ve loved to write since childhood, because I believed writers to be real world magicians. They conjure entire universes, and capture the inexplicable beauty of life. Poetry, in particular, has always been a safe haven for me, a place where I could turn the chaos of life into something concrete and profound. My poetry is who I am, and what an honour it is to be able to share it!”
Le Temps des Cerises
on the morning of my death
i will dress in white
set the table
open the window
let in the sun.
i will bring roses from the garden
pour the wine
put on the jazz
and make a toast:
to endings and beginnings
to life
the universe
and then i will close my eyes
and count to infinity.