B.C. writer and professor Corinna Chong wins 2021 CBC Short Story Prize

Corinna Chong has wonthe2021 CBC Short Story PrizeforKids in Kindergarten.

She will receive $6,000 from theCanada Council for the Artsand will also receive awriting residency at theBanff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Chong's winning story was published on CBC Books. You can read Kids in Kindergarten here.

"Kids in Kindergarten is a story about the quietly devastating things we don't say out loud. Small, seemingly meaningless words like 'it' and 'this' are made to amplify and carry power so beautifully. The writer has a wonderful ear for sound and speech a sense for what a real voice can do on the page, filling in character, and creating talk that reveals and feels so true to life. Every character in a scene is never made to be minor no matter how little they say or do. Sharply observed, blunt, at times funny, unflinching, indelible. You won't mind at all that the last line of the story will break your heart over and over again in just the right place," the jury said in a statement.

The 2021 CBC Short Story jurors were Souvankham Thammavongsa, Craig Davidson and Lee Maracle.

• How Corinna Chongwrote the storythat won the 2021CBCShort StoryPrize

Chong's story was selected from nearly 3,000 entries.

CBC Books6:23Corinna Chong on CBC Daybreak South

CBC Short Story Prize finalist, Corinna Chong, speaks to Chris Walker on CBC Daybreak South.

Chong, originally from Calgary, currently lives in Kelowna, B.C. and teachesEnglish and fine arts at Okanagan College.

She wrote Kids in Kindergarten as she wanted to write a story that couldnavigate in an empathetic way the nuances of pregnancy loss and the struggle to talk about it.

"One of the things I'm always trying to do when I write is offer a moment of truth or something that readers can really identify with, even if they haven't had that experience," Chong said in an interview withCBC Books.

"I'm floored that Kids in Kindergarten was chosen among so many brilliant pieces as the winner of the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize. What an incredible honour! I found it challenging to write about the subject of pregnancy loss with the sensitivity it deserves, and I'm gratified to know that the story resonated with the jury."

The four finalists for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prizeare Brooks McMullin of Prince Albert, Sask., for Deville at Home, Miranda Morris of Hamilton for Stump,Ben Pitfield of Toronto for Leaving Moonbeamand Saeed Teebi of Toronto for Her First Palestinian.

They will each receive$1,000 from theCanada Council for the Arts.

The jury selected the shortlist from alonglistof 33 writers that was compiled bya team of writers and editors from across Canada.

Last year'swinner was Calgary writer Brenda Damenfor her short story,Gibson.

TheCBC Literary Prizeshave been recognizing Canadian writers since 1979. Past winners includeMichael Ondaatje,Carol Shields,Michael WinterandFrances Itani.

• 14 famous Canadian writers who won CBC Literary Prizes

If you're interested in otherCBC Literary Prizes, the 2021CBC Poetry Prizeis open for submissions until May 31, 2021.

The 2022CBC Short Story Prizewill open in September and the2022CBC Nonfiction Prizewill open inJanuary2022.