It is with great pleasure that we announce the co-winners of the 2025 Award of Distinction in Oral History – Valérie Merette (Sherbrooke, MA Literature) and Kelly Norah Drukker (Concordia, PhD Humanities) – whose dissertations explore the confluence of oral history and literature/creative writing in new and insightful ways. Valérie Mérette’s thesis “‘Parce que tu as toujours voulu un pont à ton nom’» is a courageous exploration of the relationship between fathers and daughters, grounded in her own relationship with her dying father. It is a labour of love from beginning to end. Kelly Norah Drukker’s dissertation “Naming the Traces” is a beautifully crafted inter-generational exploration of her own family’s history. Combining oral history and genealogical research, Kelly reconstructs her great-grandmother’s journey from County Mayo, Ireland, to Montreal, pregnant and alone and then traces the lives of her Irish-Canadian family over four generations, seamlessly weaving together stories and analysis.
The adjudication committee for the 2025 Award of Distinction in Oral History would like to congratulate all eight nominees for their outstanding work. They make our community of practice proud.
Steven High, Ioana Radu, and Emily Keyes – 2025 COHDS Adjudication Committee
