茄子直播

Robert McGill honoured with Robert Kroetsch Teaching Award for his innovative course on literary citizenship

Honoured for course which charts a new direction for literary studies
Photo of Robert McGill
鈥淭he course was a leap into a whole new kind of teaching for me,鈥 says Robert McGill. 鈥淚t asked the students to engage in new modes of learning, whether presenting reports on literary organizations or interviewing people from those organizations"

, an associate professor in the University of Toronto's department of English, has been awarded the 2018  by the , which recognizes excellence in innovative pedagogy and teaching practice.

鈥淭he award means a lot to me,鈥 said McGill, who also directs the department鈥檚 creative writing master's program. 鈥淭eaching is the most important thing I do. It鈥檚 also the most energy-intensive and time-intensive.鈥

McGill was honoured for his literary citizenship course, which charts a new direction for literary studies.

The course 鈥 which McGill says would not have been possible without the support of his department and the Faculty of Arts & Science鈥檚 STEP Forward program 鈥 addresses students鈥 needs and interests, not just as literary critics, but as literary citizens who make contributions to the world through entrepreneurship, arts education, publishing, reviewing, their own creative writing and more.

鈥淭he course was a leap into a whole new kind of teaching for me,鈥 said McGill. 鈥淚t asked the students to engage in new modes of learning, whether presenting reports on literary organizations or interviewing people from those organizations.

鈥淚 really appreciated their commitment to the work and was impressed by their engagement with literary culture.鈥

McGill鈥檚 first novel, , was named one of the top five Canadian fiction books of 2004 by Quill & Quire. His second novel, , published in 2013, was named a book of the year by reviewers in the National Post and the Montreal Gazette.

He has also published short fiction in HazlittThe Journey Prize AnthologyToronto Life, and literary journals including DescantThe Fiddlehead, and Grain. His nonfiction has appeared in the National Post, the Toronto Star, and The Walrus, as well as on CBC Radio One.

He is currently working on new fiction, as well as journal articles about diversity and authority in creative writing pedagogy.

The Robert Kroetsch Teaching Award 鈥 administered by the Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs, a Canadian-focused association of creative writers, creative writing instructors, and creative writing programs 鈥 is named in honour of the influential Canadian novelist, poet and essayist. Called 鈥淢r. Canadian Postmodern鈥 by 茄子直播  Linda Hutcheon, Kroetsch is widely recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 foremost innovative writers.

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