TCJ Student Guest Editor Richard Van Camp Looks to Get Soul Thunder

Tribal College Journal has announced that author Richard Van Camp (Tlicho Dene) from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories in Canada will serve as guest editor for the 2024 edition of TCJ Student. He joins an esteemed cadre of writers, poets, and artists who have served as guest editor or essayist for TCJ Student, including N. Scott Momaday, Luci Tapahonso, Daniel H. Wilson, Tommy Orange, Tiffany Midge, Gwen Westerman, and Kelli Jo Ford.

“I can’t wait to read everyone’s submissions,” states Van Camp, “You’re gonna give me soul thunder with what you’re bringing, Cousins. Mahsi cho!”

Richard Van Camp has authored 27 books in the past 27 years. His novel, The Lesser Blessed, is now a movie with Firest Generations Films and premiered in 2012 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Van Camp’s book selections range from novels, short stories, nonfiction, comics, and children’s books. His collection of short stories, Moccasin Square Gardens, won the Blue Metropolis First Peoples Literary Prize as well as the CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis young adult literature in 2021.

“We’re excited to have acclaimed First Nations author Richard Van Camp as the TCJ Student guest editor for 2024. Van Camp’s body of work represents the best in Indigenous creativity today,” says TCJ publisher Bradley Shreve. “Last year we had a record turnout for our creative writing contest. It is our hope that we can continue to build upon this trend. Knowing Van Camp will serve as their editor hopefully will inspire many more TCU student writers to share their voices with the world.”

TCJ Student is currently soliciting short stories, poetry, memoirs, artwork, and short films from tribal college students for their 2024 contest. TCJ will be giving $1000 in prizes and will publish the winning entries in the 2024 edition of TCJ Student and online at TCJStudent.org. The deadline for writing submissions is February 9, 2024. The deadline for art and film submissions is March 15, 2024. For contest guidelines and the official entry form, visit: http://tcjstudent.org/contest/.

TCJ Student helps foster creative writing and highlights the talents of tribal college students. Richard Van Camp will announce the winners in March 2024.