Quick Facts
Biography
Nancy Jo Cullen is a Canadian poet and short story writer, who won the 2010 Dayne Ogilvie Prize from the Writers' Trust of Canada for an emerging lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender writer. The jury, consisting of writers Brian Francis, Don Hannah and Suzette Mayr, described Cullen in the award citation as a writer "who feels like a friend", and who "tackles dark corners without false dramatics or pretensions. There is a genuine realness in her language."
Originally from British Columbia and a longtime resident of Calgary, Alberta, she currently divides her time between Toronto, where she is completing an MFA in creative writing at the University of Guelph-Humber, and Kingston, where she lives with her partner and two children.
As of the time of her Dayne Ogilvie win, she had published three volumes of poetry. Her short story "Ashes" was a finalist for the Journey Prize in 2012, and she has since published a full volume of short stories and a novel.
She served on the jury for the 2015 Dayne Ogilvie Prize, selecting Alex Leslie as that year's winner.
Works
- Science Fiction Saint (2002, poetry)
- Pearl (2006, poetry)
- Untitled Child (2009, poetry)
- Canary (2013, short stories)
- The Western Alienation Merit Badge (2019, novel)