Awards and Giving

We would like to share our deepest gratitude with our alumni, friends and colleagues for your generous donations to the Department of English community. Your ongoing support makes a big difference to the educational experience we can offer our students and also enables us to remain connected with our alumni through various events.

Department of English 2020-2021 Featured Awards

Annual A.C Hamilton Award

The A.C Hamilton Award was established by the department of English to honour A.C “Bert” Hamilton (pictured left) for his dedication, mentorship and intellect as a professor in the department.

In honour of A.C Hamilton, one of the Department’s most distinguished scholars, his name was given to the annual prize for the Department’s best doctoral dissertation.

2021 Winner

Lindsay Young, PhD

The Helen Richards Campbell Memorial Scholarship in Creative Writing – Wendy Li

Established by the Campbell Family in memory of Helen Richards Campbell, who graduated from Queen's in 1978 at the age of 81. Awarded to the student with the highest standing in any creative writing course (CWRI) at the 200 level.

The McIlquham Foundation Prize in English – Daniel Green

Founded by the parents of Mr. J. Max McIlquham, a student at ��˴�Ƭ 1912-1915, who was killed on service overseas. Awarded to a student for an original poem, short story, or play. Competitive papers must be submitted to the Associate University Registrar (Student Awards) by 1 February. Each paper must bear a motto instead of the author's name, and must have attached to it a sealed envelope, bearing the same motto, and containing a signed declaration that it is the author's unaided composition.

The Arts 1901 Fellowship in English – Kristin Forster

Established by the class of 1901. Awarded on the basis of high academic standing to a student with a concentration in English.

The James H. Stitt Prize in Poetry – Sebastien Molgat

Founded by the late James H. Stitt, Q.C. Open to all undergraduate students, including those in the graduating year. Competitive poems must be submitted to the Associate University Registrar (Student Awards) by 1 April.

The Maureen Mogan English Scholarship

Established in May 2010 by the Estate of Maureen Mogan, B.A. (Hons.) 1959, and awarded on the basis of academic excellence to the highest achieving students entering third year in the Department of English in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Selection will be made by the Awards Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

This year we had multiple winners of the award, including Ashanthi Francis and Martin Hayes

The Laura Shibley Scholarship – Fred Hook

Founded by the late Edith Marion Carey of New Westminster, British Columbia. Awarded annually to a student entering the final year of a program in honours English who has shown imagination in the writing of English prose composition.

The Professor Leopold Havelock Thorburn Memorial Scholarship - Stephanie Lam

Established by his sister Miss Barbara E. Thorburn in memory of Leopold Havelock Thorburn, B.A. '44 (Queen's), M.A. '64 (Cambridge). Awarded by recommendation of the Department of English on the basis of the work of the second year to a student who records the intention to take an honours B.A. with a concentration in English. To be eligible, the student must have taken at least four courses in English counting toward a major concentration in the first and second years.

The John W. Bell and Janet S. Bell Memorial Scholarship – Emma Ventresca

Established in June 2008 by the Estate of John Wycliffe Hamilton Bell, Ph.D. 1972, in memory of his parents John W. Bell and Janet S. Bell. Awarded to students entering third or fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) program with a major or medial concentration in English, who demonstrate academic excellence in a course or courses emphasizing 20th Century English Literature. Selection will be made by the Awards Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Phyllis M. Camm Memorial Scholarship – Jacob Pittini

Established in December 1971 and last revised in May 2020 by relatives and friends in memory of Phyllis Marion (Hough) Camm, BA (Honours) 1944. Awarded on the basis of academic excellence to students entering the fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree with a major or medial plan in English. Selection will be made by the Awards Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The Roscoe R. Miller Scholarship in English – Kelsey Watt

Awarded to a student entering the third or fourth year of an honours program in English who has achieved high standing in the preceding year in the courses of the program concentration.

James Cappon Memorial Scholarship in English – Tessa Warburton

Established in May 1940 by Miss Alice Macnee, in memory Dr. James Cappon, MA, LLD 1921, formerly Head of the Department of English and Dean of the Faculty of Arts. Last revised in May 2020. Awarded on the basis of academic excellence to a student entering second, third or fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree with an academic plan offered by the Department of English. Selection will be made by the Awards Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The Pearl Payne Book Prize – Samuel Russell

Given by Pearl Payne Tackaberry who graduated with honours in English and History in 1911. Awarded to a deserving student registered in honours English and History.

Danbe Foundation & B. Crook Scholarship in English – Annalynn Plopp

Established in November 2015 and revised in May 2018 in honour of Barbara Crook, Artsci '79, and awarded on the basis of academic excellence to students entering second year of a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Selection will be made by the Awards Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The G. Joseph Cooper Scholarship – Paris Tomazic

Established in February 1997 by G. Joseph Cooper, B.Ed. 1972, in memory of this mother, Molly Cooper and last revised in January 2020. Awarded on the basis of academic excellence to students entering third year of a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree with an academic plan offered by the Department of English. Selection will be made by the Awards Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The Cappon Trust

F.H. Varley, Dean James Cappon, 1919, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, ��˴�Ƭ University. Photo: Larry Ostrom. © Varley Art Gallery, City of Markham.

Established in 2013 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Department of English, and named for James Cappon, the first Chair appointed in English at Queen's, the Cappon Trust is intended to provide funding to enhance alumni relations and to enrich the experience of the Department of English community. The Trust supports:

Summer and Fall Convocation celebrations for graduating undergraduate and graduate students
Homecoming events
Talks by distinguished alumni

Thanks to the generosity of contributors to our Alumni Fund, we were able to establish the Endowment portion of the Cappon Trust with $80,000, allowing us to begin building closer ties with our students, past and present.

A long-term goal of the Trust is to reinstate the Cappon Professorship, a title established in 1960 designed to recognize extraordinary contributions by a faculty member to research in the Department of English. Malcolm Ross, who served as Head of the Department of English (1957–1960), was the first to hold the title Cappon Professor; he was succeeded by John Stedmond, George Whalley, A. C. Hamilton, and George M. Logan, who retired in 2007. Since that time we have been unable to fund a new incumbent, but hope to reinstate this Department tradition through the vision of our donors.

Help us reach our goal of doubling this endowment by the Department’s 135th anniversary in 2023!

The Department of English Trust

The Trust enables the Department of English to cultivate and enrich the intellectual and social life of its community, including:

Receptions for incoming students
Visiting Speaker Series
Capstone Experience for fourth-year students
Wine and Cheese with Profs
In 2013, a celebrated performance of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets
Annual Scotiabank Giller Prize winner public reading and reception that brings together exceptional students with the best in contemporary Canadian fiction. Past winners hosted by Queen’s include: Elizabeth Hay, Joseph Boyden, Linden McIntyre, Johanna Skibsrud, Esi Edugyan, Will Ferguson, Lynn Coady, and Sean Michaels.

Help us continue to support a vibrant life of learning for our students beyond the classroom.

Joanne Page Lecture Fund

Joanne Page

In 2012 the Department of English inaugurated “The Page Lectures,” its first named lecture in Creative Writing. The series, in which a distinguished Canadian writer is invited to give a lecture on the subject of that most basic unit of composition and study, “the page,” was proposed by that year’s Writer in Residence Phil Hall, in part to honour Kingston poet Joanne Page, and as Phil notes elsewhere, in the hope “that in these times of change in our relations to the book, these lectures will invigorate & challenge the University & Kingston artistic communities.” Since 2012, Phil Hall, Erin Mouré, and Elizabeth Hay have given the lecture.

With Joanne’s death in 2015, the Joanne Page Lecture Fund was established in her memory. Our goal is to raise a minimum of $75,000 in the next 4 years so that the revenues generated from this endowment will allow us to continue to invite the best Canadian writers who put words on the page to address our students and our community.

The G. Whalley Visiting Professorship

Sub.-Lieut. A.G.C. Whalley, ��˴�Ƭ University Archives

The Whalley Fund was established to honour a key figure in the history of the Department of English. Born in Kingston on 25 July 1915, George Whalley pursued an extraordinary life: Rhodes scholar, athlete, decorated naval officer, poet, and stellar academic. He joined the Department of English at Queen's in 1950, where he was appointed as Cappon Professor in 1962 in recognition of his scholarship, and served as Head of the Department in the years of growth between 1962–67, and 1977–80. During his career Whalley became an internationally respected literary scholar specializing in poetry of the Romantic period. He was also an unusually gifted and charismatic teacher.

The Writer’s Fund

Kaie Kellough, Photo by Kevin Calixte

In the past decade Creative Writing has attained an increasingly prominent role in the life of the Department of English. Each year the department hosts a variety of writers who come to give readings and workshops for our students. In 2006, we began our Writer-in-Residence program with the aid of the Canada Council, the Principal’s Development Fund, and our own Writers’ Fund.

For one term in each academic year, a distinguished Canadian writer visits the department to participate in a range of literary events and offer mentorship to students involved in creative writing.

Distinguished writers have included:

Omar El Akkad (forthcoming 2022)
Kaie Kellough (2021)
Canisia Lubrin (2019)
Catherine Hernandez (2018)
Karen Solie (2017)
Emily Pohl-Weary (2015)
Stephen Heighton (2014)
Tim Wynne-Jones (2013)
Phil Hall (2012)
Diane Shoemperlin (2011)
Stuart Ross (2009)
Helen Humphries (2008)
Billeh Nickerson (2007)
Lillian Allan (2006)

As part of his residency Phil Hall developed the idea of the Page Lecture, an annual address in honour of Kingston author Joanne Page. In June 2015 Department of English Alumni Fund made a $25,000 gift to the endowed account of the Visiting Writers Fund in memory of Joanne Page to help secure its sponsorship of this annual event in the calendar of Creative Writing at Queen’s. The Department encourages donations to the Visiting Writers Fund accompanied by a note indicating that such donations are to be used in support of The Page Lectures.

This fund is also used to support the publication of Lake Effect, the biannual anthology, edited by Carolyn Smart, featuring the best poetry and fiction produced by students in our Creative Writing courses.

The generosity of Alumni can help to maintain this rich program of readings, lectures, publication, and mentorships which contribute so much to the experience of our students.

Other Ways to Give

If you prefer to give in other ways, please contact:

Dr Sam McKegney, Head
Department of English
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Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
Canada
613-533-2153

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