The Daniel Whittaker-Van Dusen Prize for Emerging Poets is available campus-wide for students whose work explores, provokes, and challenges readers' understanding of the world.
The prize was established in memory of Daniel, a philosophy graduate who wrote poetry that explored the absurdities of life in a precise and unafraid voice. Dan’s parents, Sheelagh Whittaker and Michael Van Dusen, both graduated from York University's Schulich School of Business in 1975.
Recipients will receive a copy of Philosoflying, Dan’s first and only published work of poetry, while supply allows.
Competition Rules
Eligibility
This award is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any faculty or discipline.
To be eligible, applicants must be in good academic standing and must submit a single unpublished and original poem via the MachForm for the Creative Writing President's and LA&PS Dean's awards.
Submission Deadline
Submissions are accepted between mid-November and mid-January each year.
Deadline: January 10th, 2025
Application Requirements
Please do not include the author’s name in the submission itself; include it only in your online submission form. Submissions that include the author’s name on the manuscript will be disqualified.
No late submissions will be accepted. No paper submissions will be accepted.
Notifications
The prize will be adjudicated by a selection committee within the Creative Writing program who will review submissions and select the recipient. The prize amount is $1,200.