Toronto -
More than two years after a local writer's book of poetry on Terry Sawchuk was published, the accolades continue to validate his work.
Steady Brook author Randall Maggs was named the recipient of the $25,000 Kobzar Literary Award for his acclaimed hockey saga "Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems." He received the award Thursday at a gala ceremony in Toronto, Ont.
The book of poetry recounts the personal and public life of Sawchuk, a premier goalie in the era of the National Hockey League's original-six. Maggs probes Sawchuk's Winnipeg upbringing in a household of Ukrainian immigrant parents, and his dark and unpredictable character, continually at odds with his highly public athletic life.
Although the poems focus on Sawchuk and his complex personality, they also convey the physical and psychological hazards faced by professional goaltenders of the age. Illustrated by photographs, the text presents many voices, including Sawchuk's, in a work that guides readers through the triumphs and failures of a tumultuous 20-year NHL career.
The biennial Kobzar Literary Award is sponsored by the Shevchenko Foundation. It recognizes outstanding contributions to Canadian literary arts through an author's presentation of a Ukrainian Canadian theme with literary merit.
Maggs said receiving the award was both phenomenal and fulfilling, but the recognition from the Ukrainian community left him with a special sense of satisfaction.
"The part of the evening I remember most is the number of people who came to me and told me they enjoyed reading the book and reading the experience," he said, while inToronto preparing to read at the March Hare.
"A lot of people talked about the fact they loved that I put myself into his head and tried to give him a way of talking about the situation that he found himself in. That was the most rewarding part it.
"What's more satisfying to a writer than knowing that somebody really enjoys something you have written. I just had that reinforced over and over again."
Sawchuk was a Ukrainian Canadian. Maggs spent 10 years combining the grace of hockey with the art of poetry in this collection of poems illustrating the tragic life and work of this North American icon and enigma.
The book was recognized on the 2008 top 100 list by the Globe and Mail and was No. 3 in sales among Canadian poetry editions last year. Maggs won two Newfoundland and Labrador writing awards for the work - the 2008 Winterset Book Award and the E.J. Pratt Prize for Poetry 2007-2008. He continues to do readings throughout the country, having 15 scheduled this month and another five in April, as the fanfare over the book doesn't slow.
