Congratulations to Zoe Bechtold, Candis Graham Writing Scholarship Recipient 2024-25
Students at the University of Victoria receive the Candis Graham Writing Scholarship from the Lambda Foundation Fund.
Zoe Bechtold was born in Calgary, Alberta, and moved to Victoria to pursue a BFA in theatre and writing at the University of Victoria. Her work focuses on queer characters and is often comical yet dark. When not writing or creating theatre, Zoe enjoys going on walks, collecting rocks, and spending time with friends. She is queer, Jewish, and currently fascinated by vampires.
Zoe is currently researching interactive forms of storytelling, exploring how writing and narrative can extend beyond the conventional format of words on a page. This area of research is a passion she plans to continue pursuing.
In the near future, Zoe is interested in studying puppet theatre, particularly the unique challenges of writing for puppets compared to human actors. She is especially intrigued by ventriloquism and stand-up comedy, as she plans to develop a ventriloquist show.
She learned about this award through the University of Victoria’s website. Each year, she applies for scholarships she is eligible for, and this award stood out because it specifically supports queer writing students or those who champion the queer community.
Zoe is incredibly honoured and grateful to have been selected as the recipient of this year’s award.
About the Candis Graham Writing Scholarship Lambda Foundation Fund
The Lambda Foundation, together with family and friends of Candis Graham, have established this award in her memory. This award is one among the national series of Lambda Foundation Awards.
Candis was born on February 14, 1949, in Kincardine, on the edge of Lake Huron, and lived most of her life in Ottawa. A writer of short fiction, she successfully moved into the genres of poetry, creative non-fiction, essays, and novels and edited innovative feminist writing. Her work has been widely anthologized. Her published books include Tea for Thirteen (1990) and Imperfect Moments (1993). In 1995, Candis began teaching writing in many different formats. On occasion, she would partner with a yoga instructor, creatively combining yoga practices with practical literary instruction. She moved to Victoria, British Columbia, in 2001, where she died on November 22, 2005.
