Commissioner of Yukon awards new literary prize

Patti Flather and Leonard Linklater have been presented with the Borealis Prize: The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution. The Borealis Prize is a new prize for Yukon authors and volunteers who work in the writing community. Patti and Leonard were awarded this prize for their work in founding Gwaandak Theatre and for their contributions to the literary community.

The Gwaandak Theatre was founded in Whitehorse in 1999. It is Yukon’s only Indigenous-centred theatre company. The recipients have helped fulfil the theatre's vision to share Indigenous and Northern stories on local, national and international stages. Some represented themes include decolonization, cultural identity, social justice, underrepresented voices and human rights. Today, the theatre continues to share these important stories in Yukon and around the world. 

Patti Flather served as Artistic Director from 1999, when Gwaandak was founded, until December 2019. Leonard Linklater was a board member for most of the theatre’s history. They are a fundamental part of the writing and creative community in Yukon, as playwrights and through their work to support new voices in the territory.