While waiting to be deployed to help fight a new wildfire Jeremy Audet received the call he won the the Bridge Prize short story contest, making him an award-winning author.
The University of Victoria graduate’s story titled “The Lobster” was one of 187 stories entered into the contest. According to Quebec author Madeleine Thien who was one of the jurors for the contest, says Audet’s story “is simultaneously speculative, contemporary, and historical.”
The award winner was working as a wildland firefighter in British Columbia when he received the call and says as he was being told he won the award there was a lot of activity going on around him with helicopters and trucks coming and going.
“[There was] a column of dark smoke thickened in the distance, and thousands of people nearby were being forced from their homes,” he said. “There was joy and relief in my heart, knowing that a story I had spent years working on had received such warm praise. I’m immensely grateful to the Bridge Prize organizers, Terry Whitehead and Dr. Shelly Wismath, the brilliant jurors, and the University of Lethbridge for recognizing the strength of storytelling.”
Along with the title, the University of Victoria graduate also received $7,500 and got to work with Sirarose Wilensky, editor with House of Anansi Press, on his story.
Along with Audet, three other finalists were recognized for their works including Susan Sechrist, Ayda Niknami and Camille Pavlenko. All three authors are from the University of British Columbia, with Pavlenko having previously studied at the University of Lethbridge.
