Indigenous writer Alicia Elliott appointed Laurier Stedman Fellow

Wilfrid Laurier University has appointed Brantford writer Alicia Elliott as the Laurier Stedman Fellow.

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Elliott, who is Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, won the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, which comes with $60,000 in prize money, and Indigenous Voices Award for her 2023 novel, And Then She Fell.

The national bestseller was the follow-up to Elliott’s debut collection of essays, A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, also a bestseller and winner of the Forest of Reading Evergreen Award.

“I’m honored to serve as a fellow at Laurier Brantford, which is not only my people’s traditional territory but also the city I call home,” said Elliott. “Brantford has long informed my writing, so having this chance to mentor other aspiring writers, work with Laurier Brantford faculty and students, and offer my expertise to the community at large is an opportunity I’m beyond grateful for.”

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Elliott was born in Buffalo, New York and moved to Six Nations, where her father is from, when she was 13. She said winning a writing contest while a student at Pauline Johnson Collegiate gave her confidence to pursue her calling.

And Then She Fell is a story of Alice, a young Mohawk woman who is a new mother and writer, and her journey through Native life, motherhood and mental health. Elliott, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, drew on personal experience when writing the novel.

The Laurier Stedman Fellowship was established by the university to honor the wishes of the late Mary Stedman whose endowment to Laurier was intended to help foster arts and culture at the university’s Brantford campus and in the surrounding community.

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Through the fellowship, the university brings Canadian artists of international caliber to Brantford, engaging students, faculty and local residents in lectures, readings, workshops and one-on-one sessions.

“We’re delighted at this opportunity to connect members of the Laurier and wider Brantford communities with an inspiring author and speaker, with the overall aim of encouraging greater understanding of the Indigenous experience,” said Lisa Wood, coordinator of the Brantford campus.

During Elliott’s year-long fellowship, she’ll spend two hours a week on campus. Her office hours on Fridays from 10 am to noon are an opportunity for budding writers from inside and outside of Laurier to schedule one-on-one sessions for feedback on their work. Requests for appointments can be made with Elliott at [email protected]

In addition to regular office hours, the author will be hosting a public reading and community creative workshops.

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