Holodomor Theme of Manuscript for 2009 Kobzar Writer’s Scholarship Recipient

By Christine Turkewych

How does a young mother of two in Toronto become the 2009 recipient of the Kobzar Writer’s Scholarship by submitting a manuscript that deals with the Holodomor?

Ulana Snihura, a published author and special education teacher with the Halton Catholic District School Board, became intrigued with the 1933 Holodomor in Ukraine when she interviewed Mykola Lytoshko, a survivor. Mykola had witnessed this horrible historic event as a ten year-old and had many memories to share with Ulana. His personal anecdotes surfaced for her the absolute atrocities of this forced famine under Stalin. Ulana began writing her manuscript in the eighties, but was unable to complete the story until she became a participant in the Humber School for Writers held in July 2009 in Toronto.

Ulana applied for the Kobzar Writer’s Scholarship because she was motivated to hone her writing craft and develop “beyond a children’s picture book author”. Her very successful book “I Miss Franklin P. Shuckles”, published by Annick Press, was a coming of age story wherein the female heroine learns that real friendship is to be valued above all and in spite of peer pressure and bullying. It won the Story Telling Award in 1999.

Ulana’s participation in the Humber workshop last summer became “eye opening” for her through one-on-one coaching by author Marsha Skrypuch and through the lessons shared by highly successful Canadian writers Wayson Choy and Guy Vanderhaeghe. Ulana knew that she wanted to hone her craft in one direction – that of producing historical fiction. She realized that she had become “stuck” in her writing because the research was dominating all her time. She had spent too much time on documenting actual events during the Holodomor. Ulana was dedicated “to getting the facts first and to getting the facts right”, an honourable strategy that will produce credibility. The seasoned authors of historical fiction helped her to acquire a new confidence: her research phase was over. It was time to focus on the story and the main characters in her version of this historical event. It was time to personalize the event and present the facts from a unique perspective. Will the famine survivors begin a new life in Canada? Will their lives be fraught with ramifications of their ordeal? Will the characters reach heroic stature? Will the characters become unforgettable in Canadian literature?

As a result of participating in the summer workshop, Ulana is confident that she will have a final draft by January 2010. The writers’ workshop also provided the network and information necessary to connect with publishers. Working with other writers brings new energy, new insights to every participating writer. Ulana is more confident then ever before that her manuscript will move to the next level, a step closer to a publishable book. 

Ulana Snihura is the third scholarship recipient since 2007. The Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko funds the Kobzar Writer’s Scholarship and one literary expert at the Humber School for Writers in Toronto through the Kobzar Literary Award endowment fund.  The Kobzar Writer’s Scholarship is awarded annually to a Canadian writer with an advanced manuscript on a Ukrainian Canadian theme. All applications are made directly to the Humber School for Writers.

Christine Turkewych, Ph.D. is Program Director, Kobzar Literary Award and Program, Shevchenko Foundation. www.kobzarliteraryaward.ca