Cecily Nicholson facts for kids

Cecily Nicholson, born in 1974, is a Canadian poet, arts administrator, and activist. She grew up in Ontario and now lives in British Columbia. Cecily writes poetry books, gives talks, and works with many community groups. She has also worked at art places like the Surrey Art Gallery and Gallery Gachet in Vancouver.

Cecily Nicholson's Writing

Cecily Nicholson's writing often explores history, uses real-life facts in her poems, and focuses on social justice. Her books talk about how things like big businesses and colonization have harmed the environment and caused people to lose their homes.

Exploring Important Topics

Cecily especially looks at the experiences of Black people who have moved around the world and Indigenous people who have been forced from their lands. She examines how these groups have faced unfair treatment and racism throughout history. Her work also shows how these communities have stayed strong by sharing their stories and supporting each other.

Poetry Books by Cecily Nicholson

Cecily Nicholson has published several collections of poetry. These include:

• Triage
• From the Poplars
• Wayside Sang
• Harrowings

Essays and Other Writings

Cecily has also written essays and poems for magazines like Canadian Art and The Capilano Review. Some of her notable pieces include:

• "Porch Light, A Window: How a neighbourhood storefront became a gathering place for Vancouver's Black creative community"
• "'Before my book on New York, I was a painter'"
• "'They're all conjurors': A conversation with Deanna Bowen & Cecily Nicholson"

Working with Other Authors

Cecily was part of a group that helped create a handbook for young activists. This book was made with educator Matt Hern and young people from the Purple Thistle Center in Vancouver. It included writings from famous people like Noam Chomsky and Astra Taylor.

Art Exhibitions and Curation

Cecily Nicholson has also helped organize and present art exhibitions. This is called curating.

2012 Anamnesia: Unforgetting

In 2012, Cecily helped with an exhibition called Anamnesia: Unforgetting at VIVO Media Arts Centre in Vancouver. This show featured old videos from the 1970s and 1980s. Cecily's part of the exhibition, called DISPATCHES, showed videos about the history of the American Indian Movement and the stand at Wounded Knee. It also looked at other important movements for civil rights and political action.

2019 Estuary Exhibition

Cecily contributed to the Estuary exhibition at the Nanaimo Art Gallery in 2019. This show explored what an estuary is – a place where a river meets the sea. The exhibition looked at the Nanaimo River Estuary, which is important to the Snuneymuxw First Nation. It also showed how industry and colonization have affected this natural area. Cecily's contribution was a small poetry book called Dregs Plume.

2020 The Pandemic Is a Portal

In 2020, Cecily co-curated an exhibition called The Pandemic Is a Portal at SFU Galleries. This show explored how communities form, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Artists thought about how their responses to this time could help create new kinds of communities in the future.

Public Speaking and Presentations

Cecily Nicholson often gives poetry readings and talks about her poetry and her work for social justice. Some examples include:

• 2012: Lunch Poems at Simon Fraser University, with George Bowering
• 2017: Poetry Reading at the University of British Columbia Okanagan
• 2019: Cecily Nicholson and Juliane Okot Bitek with Lillian Allen: Forgetting, Remembering at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Other Important Projects

From 2019 to 2020, Cecily was on the Ethics Research Board for Emily Carr University of Art and Design. She has also worked with women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside community since 2000. She was a coordinator at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre.

Press Release Poetry Collective

Cecily worked with the Press Release Poetry Collective. This group formed before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. They wanted to look at the Olympics critically, thinking about how media, advertising, and land rights for First Nations were affected.

Safe Assembly Project

Also in 2010, Cecily took part in the Safe Assembly project. This project included readings and discussions about poetry and politics. It focused on protests against the Olympics in Vancouver and a broader look at how big events like the Olympics can impact communities.

Joint Effort

Cecily continues to work with Joint Effort, a group that supports women in prison. This group helps connect women in prison with community organizations outside. They have programs like Books 2 Prisoners, which sends books to inmates.

No One Is Illegal Vancouver

Cecily has also helped No One Is Illegal, a group in Vancouver that works for migrant justice. She has done research and reported on issues like immigration rules, racial profiling, and unfair working conditions for migrants.

Awards and Recognition

Cecily Nicholson has received several awards and honors for her work.

Residencies

• 2017: Ellen Warren Tallman Writer in Residence at Simon Fraser University
• 2021: Writer in Residence at the University of Windsor

Literary Awards

• 2015: Won the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize for her book From the Poplars.
• 2018: Won the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry for her book Wayside Sang.
• 2023: Was a finalist for the Pat Lowther Award for Harrowings.