Dawson ALC student wins College Writers Award and another is a finalist
The Quebec Writers’ Federation has recognized the original writing of two students in Dawson’s Arts, Literature and Communication Program. Literature Profile student Eden Daniel (nom de plume Eden Andrews) won the QWF College Writers Award for her work, entitled Misremembering. Eden received a prize of $1,000 and her work will be published in carte blanche, an online literary journal produced by the QWF. Arts and Culture Profile student Djamila Milette Mostefaï was a finalist for the same award for her essay, entitled When cliches are okay..
Eden gained self-confidence
Winning the award has allowed Eden to take her writing more seriously. It gave her “some self-confidence and encouragement, without having to work hard to find that from within myself. In other ways, (winning the award) has been sort of intimidating; now I have a precipice to fall from. For a long time, I struggled telling other people about it because the last thing I want is for people to compare themselves negatively to me. Awards are so strange because they sort of mean everything and nothing. It’s huge that I received this award and I’m honoured. I mean, I was sitting in a chair next to Roen Higgins the entire night!”
On the inspiration behind her winning work, Eden said that for a long time she has been curious about the relationship with art during times of crisis. “Misremembering first came from that direction then snowballed into a reflection on the relationship between memory and art,” she said in an interview with the Communications Office. “Our memories lie to us more often than we think, and I wanted to explore why that is.”
Eden’s next project is a short story collection. On her style of writing, she says “there’s not much off the table. I consider writing to be affirmative. I can express my interpretation of reality and affirm it as true, which is something all women, no matter their race or assigned sex, can easily struggle to do in their everyday lives. Whenever I’m drawn to write stories or poems, I tend to be searching for a reality to affirm, whether it be personal, political or psychological.”
Inspirations
If you read Misremembering, you’ll definitely get an idea of the sort of authors that inspire Eden. “It’s funny, I read The Bell Jar during the pandemic and didn’t expect it to make me want to become a writer. Reading it was the first time as a reader that I felt like a book had been written just for me. By this point, the only books I had read were the 19th century classics my grandfather had convinced me to read, as well as the simple English books assigned to me at my French high school. All this to say, Plath’s postmodern confessional style was electrifying and has probably influenced me more than I care to admit.”
Coming to Dawson has really helped Eden develop as a writer. “As a student writer, it can be hard to find time to focus on art during school so the opportunities I had to write for assignments were valuable. Misremembering, for example, began as a final assignment in Sarah Burgoyne’s Literature and Creative Practices course. The Literature Profile has also given me the incredible opportunity to connect with other tremendously talented writers, whether they be students or professors. The support and teachings they’ve offered me has meant the world and made me a better artist in every way.”
Eden has also appreciated being part of the Dawson community. “There hasn’t been a teacher at Dawson who hasn’t cared, not that that’s part of the teaching job, but it means a lot to students. If I was struggling in any way, I felt comfortable asking faculty for help and support (which I did many, many times). There is a sense of community at Dawson, which is hard to pin down. There’s always an activity going on that you can participate in or a person you can smile at in the hallway. The Literature pocket of Dawson is one I’m so proud to be a part of.”
Eden is hoping to get in to Concordia University’s Creative Writing program and continue learning how to improve her craft.
Djamila chose writing over film
Djamila Milette Mostefaï, who was one of three finalists for the QWF College Writers Award, began her studies at Dawson in the Cinema l Communications Profile of ALC and then switched to Arts and Culture because of her growing love for writing and art history.
Djamila always kept a journal and wrote to express her feelings. Being a finalist for the QWF award changes how she sees herself.
Her essay was written as a class assignment in the winter of 2022 during a “particular season of my life. When I reread my text, I saw how I was going through a heavy time,” she said.
Life-changing teachers
Djamila’s English teacher, Felix Fuchs, in her first semester at Dawson “changed my life. He was the one who told me to keep writing,” she said. Writing came naturally to her but she decided to take steps to develop it.
Film is an interest of Djamila’s and she writes in a visual way. Her favourite authors are Joan Didion, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and others who write in the magical realism genre. “I loved the film classes at Dawson but I wanted to see where the writing would go,” she said of her decision to focus more on writing. “It will sound nerdy but it is the first time in my life that I go to school and I love it. I want to keep learning. I actually care about what I am learning.”
In addition to several English teachers who have encouraged her writing, Djamila said that Fine Arts teacher Emma Doubt also changed her life. “She opened my eyes to street art and graffiti and that was mind blowing,” she said. The caring teachers at Dawson have made a big impact on Djamila. “I will bring their help with me for the rest of my life!”
At Dawson, Djamila has learned that “writing can make my life better.” Her dreams include studying in New York City and following her passion for creative writing and art history.
Advice for students pursuing writing from Djamila:
- Write anything! You can always go back and revise.
- If you’re interested in something, just go for it. It could be your greatest passion, but you have to try it.
- Be as creative as possible and go for it.
Support and advice for students pursuing writing from Eden:
- Over the winter break, two other Literature students, Emmy Rubin and Emma Majaury, and Eden started a little workshopping club for Dawson writers. “We’re offering aspiring writers the chance to share their writing with their peers and receive feedback on their work. It’s been a great way to connect with other writers and learn about writing opportunities like contests and magazine submissions. We have an Instagram account called @dawsonwritersworkshop. It shares writing prompts, reading recommendations, information about upcoming meetings, and even some pieces that’s come out of our sessions.”
Eden shared advice for would-be-writers but is careful to credit her Dawson teachers, who have passed it down to her:
- For writers who haven’t written anything yet: Pick up a pen and try. Doesn’t matter if it’s bad or not. Just think about something that’s been haunting you lately, turn off your brain and let the words find you. Don’t be scared. Most writing starts off from a place of intuition, not logic. Ask yourself the question: what word feels right in my bones next to this one?
- For writers in the creation process: When you catch an idea or a sentence or an image, you have to write it down because or else, you’ll forget it. Trust me, I know it’s annoying, especially when you’re about to fall asleep, but it’s important.
- For writers in the revision process: The hardest thing to do as a writer is to reinforce your themes. Odds are that, even after you think you’ve done this properly, you’ll still need to do it more. Themes are something you should really look out for when receiving feedback. My favourite question to ask people offering feedback is: were there any themes that caught your attention while reading? Also, don’t be scared to sit on your work after receiving feedback. Put it in a drawer for a couple of weeks before re-reading it. You’ll gain fresh eyes and a little bit of critical distance.
