Sonnet L'Abbé
Encyclopedia
Sonnet L'Abbé is a Canadian
poet and critic. As a poet, L'Abbé writes about national identity, race, gender and language. She has been shortlisted for the 2010 CBC Literary Award for poetry and has won the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award for most promising writer under 35.As a critic, she is a regular reviewer of fiction and poetry for The Globe and Mail
and has written scholarly articles on Canadian contemporary poetry.
Born in Toronto
, Ontario
, L'Abbé received a BFA in film and video from York University
, and completed a Master's degree in English literature from the University of Guelph
. She has been a script reader and has taught English at universities in South Korea
and as well as teaching Creative Writing at the University of Toronto
. She has also worked as an assistant poetry editor at Canadian Literature
, and is an occasional contributor to CBC Radio One
and the National Post
. She is currently working on a PhD in 20th century poetics at the University of British Columbia
.
Her work has appeared in a number of literary journals and several anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2009, Best Canadian Poetry 2010, Open Field: 30 Contemporary Canadian Poets and Red Silk: An Anthology of South Asian Canadian Women Poets.
L'Abbé is multiracial
; her father is Franco-Ontarian
and her mother is Guyanese of South Asian mixed descent. Her father, Jason L'Abbé, is a Canadian ceramic artist.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
poet and critic. As a poet, L'Abbé writes about national identity, race, gender and language. She has been shortlisted for the 2010 CBC Literary Award for poetry and has won the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award for most promising writer under 35.As a critic, she is a regular reviewer of fiction and poetry for The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
and has written scholarly articles on Canadian contemporary poetry.
Born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, L'Abbé received a BFA in film and video from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, and completed a Master's degree in English literature from the University of Guelph
University of Guelph
The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...
. She has been a script reader and has taught English at universities in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and as well as teaching Creative Writing at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. She has also worked as an assistant poetry editor at Canadian Literature
Canadian literature
Canadian literature is literature originating from Canada. Collectively it is often called CanLit. Some criticism of Canadian literature has focused on nationalistic and regional themes, although this is only a small portion of Canadian Literary criticism...
, and is an occasional contributor to CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
and the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
. She is currently working on a PhD in 20th century poetics at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
.
Her work has appeared in a number of literary journals and several anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2009, Best Canadian Poetry 2010, Open Field: 30 Contemporary Canadian Poets and Red Silk: An Anthology of South Asian Canadian Women Poets.
L'Abbé is multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
; her father is Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
and her mother is Guyanese of South Asian mixed descent. Her father, Jason L'Abbé, is a Canadian ceramic artist.
Awards
- Malahat Review Long Poem Prize, 1999
- Bronwen Wallace Memorial AwardBronwen Wallace Memorial AwardThe Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a writer under 35 who has not yet published his or her first book....
, 2000 - Shortlist, CBC Literary Award (Poetry), 2010