The goal: A new award bearing the acclaimed journalist, author and educator’s name will help talented students overcome financial barriers and pursue their writing ambitions in King’s MFA programs.
In 2025, King’s bid a bittersweet farewell to one of its MFA co-founders and long-serving journalism professors, Dr. Stephen Kimber, DCL’26, who retired after decades of service to King’s.
Dr. Kimber educated countless journalists and left an indelible mark on every aspect of the MFA program, from development of its limited residency model and curriculum, to its focus on mentorship and writing in community.
For his contributions to King’s, and impact in teaching, journalism and writing, Kimber was recently awarded a Doctor of Civil Laws (honoris causa) at the Installation ceremony for President Tim Vine. In his convocation remarks, he said, “I might have taught the students, but the students taught me more. I believe I became a better journalist—and an author—because I had to learn in order to teach.”
“We remain forever grateful to Stephen for his generosity of spirit,” says MFA Director Dr. Gillian Turnbull, MFA’17. “While it is impossible to fully repay his contributions to not only King’s Journalism and MFA programs, but also the Atlantic Canadian journalism and literary ecosystems, we aim to create the Stephen Kimber MFA Award to express our community’s ongoing gratitude and ensure Stephen’s legacy of fostering writing talent continues.”
With your support, the Stephen Kimber MFA Award will give an incoming MFA student with financial need—something that pleases its namesake.
“Financial barriers have always been a concern,” says Dr. Kimber. “We know there are talented, successful applicants with worthwhile projects who don’t end up enrolling because they can’t afford it, and others who don’t even apply because they know they won’t be able to cover the cost.”
Dr. Kimber was pleased to learn about our goal to create the award: “It would be an honour to have an award like this with my name on it, and I’ll be more honoured—and delighted—to know students in need will get the opportunity to succeed as writers with the help and mentorship of a supportive program like ours.”
Honours and awards
Over the decades, Dr. Kimber continued writing and publishing his own nonfiction and fiction books, as he nurtured the delivery of dozens of other books by MFA students and alumni.
“With gentle encouragement and on-point feedback, he modelled and inspired excellent work, consistently proving to writers they could succeed in writing and publishing,” says Dr. Turnbull.
The awards Dr. Kimber has received are many, and include an Order of Nova Scotia, 23 Atlantic Journalism Awards, and multiple regional and national book prizes including the 2026 Legacy Award from the Atlantic Book Awards. He also makes time to give back by volunteering as a judge for prestigious writing contests and as a board executive for writers’ associations.
“As inspiring as Stephen’s publication and professional resumé are, it is as a person of principle, generosity and kindness that his example truly shines,” says King’s MFA Cohort Director Kim Pittaway. “People share their stories with Stephen because he is fair, fierce and dogged in his pursuit of the facts.”
One of Kimber’s former students says he has contributed to the award to recognize their connection and Dr. Kimber’s influence on his writing career. “I had the great fortune of being mentored by Stephen on three occasions,” says Richard Levangie, MFA’15, BJ’90, author of Secrets of the Hotel Maisonneuve. “He was my journalism professor at King’s in 1989–90. He was my editor at Seven Days in 1991–92, where I wrote arts features and food-and-wine columns. And he was there again in 2013 when I tried to restart my life after neurosurgery and signed up to do my MFA.”
Tributes offered when Dr. Kimber retired included those from former students and colleagues praising his “steady hand and wise-owl energy,” calling him “a proven builder of communities, programs and institutions,” and someone with “an admirable career as journalist, columnist, teacher and mentor.”
Dr. Kimber’s retirement doesn’t mean he’s slowed down much; he is publishing a detective novel which is the beginning of a series, and continuing his association with King’s MFA program, including through this new award. “I look forward to seeing writers who wouldn’t otherwise imagine themselves in a program like ours decide to apply, be admitted, mentored, graduate and become published authors,” he says.
“We are very grateful to those who join with us in creating the Stephen Kimber MFA Award.” (Select ‘Stephen Kimber MFA Award’ under ‘Designation’.) “Your gift will help to ensure that Stephen’s influence continues to be felt by future classes,” says Dr. Turnbull.
To learn more about additional to the Stephen Kimber MFA Award, please contact Alyssa Feir, Associate Director Donor Relations at alyssa.feir@ukings.ca.
