British Association for Canadian Studies Newsletter
BACS E-News December 2009
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from BACS!


 
In This Issue
Books for review
Prix du Qu�bec
Cambridge History of Canadian Literature
BACS Conference 2010
Using English Effectively
Canadian Studies Visiting Fellows
ICCS on Facebook
UTP Journals
About BACS

BACS logo


The British Association for Canadian Studies acts as a forum for Canadianists in the UK and holds an annual conference at Easter each year. BACS publishes a Newsletter twice yearly and the British Journal of Canadian Studies is produced by Liverpool University Press.
 
Books for Review!
BJCS cover

The December list of books available for review in the BJCS is now available on the BACS website

Quick Links
BACS
Room SB212
Senate House
Malet Street
London WC1E 7HU
020 7862 8687
 
or:
c/o 2 Ancroft Southmoor
Berwick-upon-Tweed
TD15 2TD
01289 387331
Email


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PRIX DU QU�BEC

The Prix du Qu�bec consists of two awards of �1,000 (each) offered by the Qu�bec Government Office in London and administered by BACS. It is designed to assist researchers based in the UK to carry out research related to Qu�bec by facilitating a research visit to Qu�bec. Projects that incorporate Qu�bec in a comparative approach (at least 50 % of the focus must be on Qu�bec) are also eligible.All applications are welcome, including those from applicants unsuccessful in recent previous competitions. 

One award will be given in each of the following categories:

●     Masters and doctoral students
●     Researchers and academic staff (including postdoctoral researchers)
 
The award is not intended to be used to cover tuition fees for postgraduate study. Applicants are expected to be members of the British Association for Canadian Studies (they may join at time of application) but need not have an institutional affiliation.

The awards will be presented during the Annual Conference of the British Association for Canadian Studies in March, and successful applicants will be expected to present a paper on the outcome of their research at the next BACS annual conference. It is expected that the award will be acknowledged in any subsequent publication(s).

Application procedure
Applicants should provide a brief outline of their proposed research (including methodology, contextual background, plan and outcomes). Successful applications will have the following characteristics: (i) investigate issues concerning Quebec (includes comparative research where the focus on Quebec is at least 50%); (ii) constitute an excellent research proposal (originality, coherence of arguments and methodology); (iii) display applicant's abilities to deliver research (previous relevant background, experience, publications, etc); (iv) is of value to potential users outside or within the research community. A brief (one-page max.) CV should be included.

Deadline: 15 February of each year (decision within 28 days).
Maximum Length: 1000 words.
A letter of recommendation, on headed paper, from an appropriate referee is also required and should be sent with the application. Referees should address the merits of the proposal and the ability of the applicant to successfully carry out the research. The referee's letter may be sent by email as an attachment. Any Award will be paid through the Research Office of the applicant's institution.
Applications should be sent by email, please, to: [email protected]
 
If further information is required, please contact Jodie Robson, Administrator, British Association for Canadian Studies,  tel: 020 7862 8687 / 01289 387331 / mobile 07967 374554; email

The Cambridge History of Canadian Literature
edited by Coral Ann Howells and Eva-Marie Kroller.
Cambridge: CUP, 2009. 810 pp. �90.00.  ISBN 978-0-521-86876-1.
 
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From Aboriginal writing to Margaret Atwood, this is a complete English-language history of Canadian writing in English and French from its beginnings. This multi-authored volume pays special attention to works from the 1960s and after, to multicultural and Indigenous writing, popular literature, and the interaction of anglophone and francophone cultures throughout Canadian history. Written by an international team of distinguished scholars, the volume includes a separate substantial section discussing major genres in French, plus a detailed chronology of historical and literary/cultural events, and and extensive bibliography covering criticism in English and French.
 

Democracy as a work in progress:
the intellectual and cultural dynamics of the Canadian idea
 
BACS 35th Annual Conference, New Hall Cambridge
6-8 April 2010

Keynote Speakers announced

Stephen Lewis, formerly the Special Envoy to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and chair of the board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation in Canada;
Beno�t Pelletier, Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa and former government minister;
Danielle Fuller, Director, Centre of Canadian Studies, University of Birmingham
Francisco Colom, research professor at the Spanish National Research Council and President of the Spanish Association for Canadian Studies

Further information on the conference can be found here. Registration forms will be available on the website in January 2010 and will be mailed to BACS members.

USING ENGLISH EFFECTIVELY
                       
 
Using English Effectively is part of the website of Ged Martin, who was formerly professor of Canadian Studies at the University of Edinburgh. It is mainly intended to help students in Britain and Ireland, but perhaps it may be useful elsewhere.
 
Many colleagues working in higher education are concerned that students too often lack basic skills in written English and produce work that is devalued by simple errors. Using English Effectively may be helpful to academics who feel that they have neither the resources nor the responsibility to help students to improve their performance.
 
A brief Introduction makes the point that poor use of English in Britain and Ireland risks throwing away the advantage we believe we possess in a world dominated by our language. It also argues that many of the errors that appear in student essays can easily be identified and eliminated. Tribute is due to the ability of the students of the University of Edinburgh, who were by no means responsible for all of the entries in Using English Effectively. Indeed, some of the more entertaining blunders have been culled from the writings and utterances of professional colleagues.
 
There are five sections. The first two deal with Problem Words A-M and N-Z. The arrangement is alphabetical but the sections include entries such as "-A- Problem Words" which includes words in which the letter A is frequently confused or omitted, such as reliant, separate and Parliament. There are simple also tips for dealing with words and names that are often mis-spelled: "Gandhi was a friendly guy / Always saying Gee! and Hi!"
 
A section on Pairs (including some Trios) lists examples such as "there" and "their".
 
A section on the Apostrophe sets out some basic guidelines in this losing battle.
 
A recent addition is a section called Pronunciation for Presentation. This section does not aim to encourage people to talk "posh", but is rather intended to help effective communication in the world language. As with spelling difficulties, a small number of common mistakes can be grouped under heading such as "Swallowed Syllables" ["crate" for "create", "pleece" for "police"], the rendering of T as Ch ("chewdee" for "Tuesday") and D as J (as in the "HRH the Jook of Edinburgh").  This section is about speaking with clarity, not talking with an affected accent: the author is a native of Romford. Most of the problems noted in this section have been culled from News broadcasts on British television channels.
 
Access to Using English Effectively is free. Universities, academic Departments and programmes are very welcome to establish on-screen links or to make reference to Using English Effectively in course materials and hand-outs.
 
Any mistakes detected in Using English Effectively are, of course, solely the result of typing errors.
 

Canadian Studies Visiting Fellows
 
The Canadian Studies program at University College, the University of Toronto, offers a limited number of non-stipendiary fellowships to visiting scholars. Fellows will be provided with office space in University College, and free access to the University of Toronto library system. Fellows will be designated members of the University College Senior Common Room and are expected to contribute to the intellectual life of the Canadian Studies program and to University College. Such contribution will consist of at least one research or teaching seminar and student mentoring.

Canadian Studies is a thriving undergraduate program that draws upon faculty and graduate students from across disciplines, and from across the university. Applications are welcome from scholars in any discipline, from inside and outside Canada, who will undertake research on Canada during their visit. Preference will be given to university faculty, but applications from independent scholars, doctoral and postdoctoral students may be considered. Scholars are welcome throughout the year, for periods from one to twelve months. For more information about the fellowships, please contact the Canadian Studies program director. Application forms and more information about the Canadian Studies program is available here


JOIN ICCS ON FACEBOOK

The ICCS is please to participate in the creation of a communication network for the new generation in Canadian Studies through the use of Facebook. The platform is especially aimed at students, young researchers but also at experienced Canadianists. The ICCS has many activities, scholarships, grants and services for the new generation of Canadianists. The Facebook site will be the ideal place to exchange ideas, ask questions, announce events, etc. related to Canadian Studies.
 

University of Toronto Press - Journals is now on Facebook!

Join UTP Journals for advance notice of tables of contents of forthcoming issues, author and editor commentaries and insights, calls for papers and advice on publishing in our journals. Become a fan and join in discussions about current developments in your field of study and on relevant news from around the publishing world. UTP Journals fans can also make suggestions of themes for future issues and for new books to consider for review, and much more...
 
And introducing - UTP Journals focus
Every week UTP will feature articles from several journals and offer them free to Facebook fans. These articles will only be free for the week they are featured.