MIKE ROY — The Argosy (Mount Allison University)

The makings of a day well spent.

SACKVILLE (CUP) — In todays literary world, it can be tough for women writers to earn the same respect and adoration as their male counterparts.

Take, for example, David Gilmour’s latest interview, where he discusses his disdain for teaching women or minority authors in his guest lectures at the University of Toronto. While it may be unlikely to find a Morrison or an Atwood in Gilmour’s syllabus, one woman has recently been recognized beyond the classroom, rising to an international level due to her written works.

Alice Munro was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature by the Swedish Academy this year as a “master of the modern short story.” She is the thirteenth woman to receive the award, along with the second Canadian after expatriate Saul Bellow received the same prize in 1976.

Every year, the Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded to an author of any country that demonstrates an excellence in the field of written works, be it fiction or non-fiction. Munro is no newcomer to the realm of literature, as she has carefully produced fourteen collections of her work over several decades, penning hundreds of short stories. Her literature normally focuses on the themes of female identity, such as the coming-of-age tales in Lives of Girls and Women, or the struggles in middle-aged life in Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.

Munro was born in Wingham, Ont. a small community located in the southwest part of the province in Huron County. This environment has served as fodder for her stories, which commonly deal with rural locations similar to her hometown. She studied English and journalism at the University of Western Ontario, where she met her first husband, James Munro. She has been a past recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award on three occasions and the Giller Book Prize in 1998 and 2004.

As a Canadian female author, Munro represents a cultural shift for those who still think in the same vein as Gilmour.

Literature in today’s world is not simply the study of the same famous names found in textbooks for centuries, but the incorporation of writing from all backgrounds in all time periods. Munro’s win is not only personal, but demonstrates the quality and talent that can be ignored by biased views of inequality.

A win for Munro has placed Canada in the spotlight of noteworthy North American literature. While our country has the same wealth of talent as our neighbours to the south, we do not have the means to publicize and promote our literature on an equivalent scale. Munro being recognized on an international level will not only garner attention to her works, but to those of all Canadians.

Earlier this year, Munro announced her retirement from writing — which could only be capped off with this magnificent honour of the Nobel Prize in Literature. While she cannot attend the reception ceremony due to her health, she is still humble and thankful for the recognition.

There is truly no better way to end the career of a magnificent author, who has shaped the Canadian literature landscape, than this.

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Photo: Canadian University Press