UBC Reports | Vol. 51 | No. 1 | Jan. 10, 2005

Prof Captures Two Geminis

Creative writing professor Linda Svendsen has been recognized for best writing in Canadian television.

Svendsen and co-writer Brian McKeown recently won a Gemini Award for best writing in a dramatic program or miniseries for Human Cargo, the CBC TV miniseries on the plight of refugees. As producers of the series, the pair also captured the Gemini for best television movie or dramatic miniseries. With 17 nominations, the miniseries took seven Gemini Awards, the second-highest number ever awarded to a miniseries.

A $9-million dollar project, Human Cargo was filmed in Vancouver and South Africa, and aired as a six-hour miniseries on CBC TV in January 2004. During the early stages of development, support from UBC helped fund library acquisitions, office expenses and travel to African refugee camps, a mine and South African locations for research purposes. Svendsen has taught in the UBC Creative Writing Department since 1989.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television awards the Geminis to celebrate excellence in Canadian English-language television. Three other alumni from the UBC department of theatre, film and creative writing took the stage to accept Gemini Awards this year. Gavin Crawford (BFA ’93) took best individual performance in a comedy or series; Brent Carver (BA ’72) won best performance by an actor in a leading role in a dramatic program or miniseries; and Astrid Janson (MA ’72) won production design or art direction in a non-dramatic program or series.