Joshua Whitehead

Joshua Whitehead is a Canadian First Nations, two spirit poet and novelist.[1]

An Oji-Cree member of the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba,[2] he began publishing poetry while pursuing undergraduate studies at the University of Winnipeg.[3]

After he started graduate studies in indigenous literature at the University of Calgary, Talonbooks published his debut poetry collection Full-Metal Indigiqueer in 2017.[2] The book initially received a Lambda Literary Award nomination for Transgender Poetry at the 30th Lambda Literary Awards in 2018, although Whitehead withdrew the book from consideration as the category was a misrepresentation of his identity as a two-spirit, not transgender, person.[4]

His debut novel, Jonny Appleseed, was published by Arsenal Pulp Press in 2018.[5] In the same year, he was named a finalist for the Dayne Ogilvie Prize for Canadian LGBTQ writers,[6] and the book was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize[7] and a shortlisted finalist for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 2018 Governor General's Awards[8] and the 2019 Amazon.ca First Novel Award.[9] The book won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction at the 31st Lambda Literary Awards.[10]

Reception

Whitehead's poetry is praised by Lisa Tatonetti, who describes it as speaking "to this over-determined queer Indigenous present by considering intersections of loss, pain, and hope."[11]

References
  1. "Why Joshua Whitehead wants to recentre Indigenous characters with his cyberpunk-infused poetry". CBC Books, November 1, 2017.
  2. "Poet Joshua Whitehead redefines two-spirit identity in Full-Metal Indigiqueer". Unreserved, December 17, 2017.
  3. "Indigiqueer storyteller Joshua Whitehead turns hope and frustration into literature". This Magazine, April 3, 2018.
  4. "Joshua Whitehead: Why I’m Withdrawing From My Lambda Literary Award Nomination". The Insurgent Architect's House, March 14, 2018.
  5. "6 new Canadian books to watch for in April". CBC Books, April 4, 2018.
  6. "Ben Ladouceur, Trish Salah, and Joshua Whitehead named Dayne Ogilvie Prize finalists". Quill & Quire, May 17, 2018.
  7. "Esi Edugyan, Patrick deWitt, Tanya Tagaq among 12 authors longlisted for 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize". CBC Books, September 17, 2018.
  8. "Miriam Toews, Rawi Hage in running for $25,000 Governor General’s fiction prize". Toronto Star, October 3, 2018.
  9. "Tanya Tagaq, Ian Williams among finalists for $60,000 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". Toronto Star, April 26, 2019.
  10. "Canadians win three Lambda awards for LGBTQ writing". Toronto Star, June 4, 2019.
  11. https://journals.kent.ac.uk/index.php/transmotion/article/view/637/1360
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