Eternity Martis is a Canadian journalist and author from

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

, Ontario. Her debut publication ''They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing up'' won the 2021

Kobo Emerging Writer Prize The Kobo Emerging Writer Prize is a Canadian literary award, presented since 2015 by online e-book and audiobook retailer and eReader manufacturer Rakuten Kobo. Awardees receive a $10,000 prize, and are provided with support in marketing their bo ...

for non-fiction.

Early life and education

Martis was born in 1993. Growing up she enjoyed reading and writing, and in high school she worked at the school newspaper. Martis went to the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames Ri ...

where she earned a double honours Bachelor of Arts (English Language and Literature and Women's Studies and Feminist Research) and a Certificate in writing. She went on to study at

Ryerson University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...

where she completed a graduate degree in Journalism. Martis identifies as a Black woman with mixed heritage; her father is Jamaican and her mother is of Pakistani origin.

Career

Martis was a senior editor at ''

Xtra Magazine ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former pr ...

''. Her writing focuses on issues surrounding gender and race. In March 2020 she published her debut memoir, ''They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing up'' with McLelland and Stewart. The book documents her experiences with racism, drawing on her time as a student at the University of Western Ontario. In 2021 the book was awarded the

for nonfiction. The title was selected by non-fiction judge

Kamal Al-Solaylee Kamal Al-Solaylee (born 1964) is a Canadian journalist, who published his debut book, ''Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes'', in 2012. He is currentldirectorof the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media at Canada's University of British Columbia ...

. In addition to writing and publishing, Martis teaches journalism and has held various positions at Ryerson University in the School of Journalism. She was the 2021 Asper Visiting Professor and Journalist-in-Residence at the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

. Martis was the

Simon Fraser University Library Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located from ...

's 2022 Non-Fiction Writer in Residence, holding the post from January to April 2022. In January 2022, it was announced that she would be joining the School of Journalism at Ryerson University in a tenure-track position beginning in July 2022.

Awards

* 2021 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize * 2020 Winner (editor) of Best Newsletter Digital Publishing Awards * 2019 Winner of Best Investigative Feature at Canadian Publishing Awards

Bibliography

* ''They said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing up'' (2021), McLelland and Stewart

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martis, Eternity University of Western Ontario alumni 1993 births Toronto Metropolitan University alumni 21st-century Canadian women writers Black Canadian writers Living people Black Canadian women writers