Kerry Galenzoski has made the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize longlist for Ten Gay Things.

The winner of the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and have the opportunity to attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The shortlist will be announced on April 22 and the winner will be announced on April 29.

Kerry Galenzoski is a queer writer and psychiatrist living in Winnipeg. She holds a BA in French, a BSc (Hons) in genetics and an MD from the University of Manitoba. Kerry completed her residency in psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. Ten Gay Things is her first submission. She is working on a collection of short stories. Kerry is deeply grateful for the enthusiastic and welcoming queer community in Winnipeg. Her next LGBT adventure is an intergenerational book club.

"Loss inspires search for community."

"The story grew from my experiences a few years ago as a newly out 40-something woman navigating queer relationships and searching for a sense of belonging."

"In the end, all we really have are our stories," mused Sorcha, "and you are some of the best parts of mine." We sat side by side on her sofa, gloomily surveying the pile representing our year together. It was a surprisingly charitable perspective, contrasting starkly with the conflict that had increasingly fragmented us.

However, her words left me with a profound sadness. Gathering up the physical remnants of the relationship, I prepared to leave Sorcha's home for the last time. I glanced around at her space, filled with colourful throws, inviting furniture, and figurines from her Irish Catholic heritage. It was painful to acknowledge that her world was no longer mine. She wordlessly held the door for me, and I walked out of her life.

The winner of the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The 2021 CBC Poetry Prize is open for submissions until May 31, 2021. The 2022 CBC Short Story Prize will open in September and the 2022 CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January 2022.