Laurita Love has made the 2023 CBC Nonfiction Prize longlist for Dancing Under the Chemo Tree. The shortlist will be announced on Sept. 14 and the winner will be announced on Sept. 21.

If you're interested in the CBC Literary Prizes, the 2024 CBC Short Story Prize is open for submissions.

Laurita Love is a writer, a yogi, a dancer, a dreamer and a visionary. She is a two-time breast cancer survivor. She has volunteered, worked and studied abroad in many different countries throughout Europe, Latin America and Africa. She holds two master's degrees, one in sociology and one in political science. She is passionate about life, finding one's purpose and aspires to become a cancer support coach. She currently resides in Penticton, B.C., where she teaches dance and yoga. She is also the founder and festival director of a yoga, dance and music festival called Rise Wellness Festival.

"Cancer, dance, healing, miracles, universe."

"I am inspired by my own lived experience of going through breast cancer. The journey started in 2014 when I was first diagnosed and has continued through to today as I am still in treatment for stage 4 breast cancer. I have continually been in awe at how beautiful my healing journey has been over the past nine years. While going through traditional cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and hormone therapy), I have also been exposed and introduced to many alternative ways to heal the body from disease, including art therapy, ecstatic dance, plant based nutrition, etc. I want to share my story, to inspire others that a cancer diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence but rather an opportunity for growth and redirection."

My eight-year cancer journey began the summer of 2014, when I first started to notice something a little strange with my breasts. I originally thought it was just my body telling me it was time to have children, as my breasts felt a little tender and extra sore around the time of my period. One day the tenderness I was experiencing turned into pain and then it started to wake me up in the middle of the night. When this started to happen, I thought this isn't right and I decided to get it checked out.

The winner of the 2023 CBC Nonfiction Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and win a two-week writing residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The 2024 CBC Short Story Prize is currently open until Nov. 1, 2023 at 4:59 p.m. ET. The 2024 CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January 2024 and the 2024 CBC Poetry Prize will open in April 2024.