It’s no secret that best-selling Canadian mystery writer Louise Penny is a long-time fan of libraries. One clue? A librarian is featured prominently in her books. Reine-Marie Gamache, the wife of main character Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, is a librarian and a consistent presence throughout Penny’s mystery series.
So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when TMU Libraries approached Penny about supporting a Library research award for students, she was immediately intrigued.
“A library is where I first discovered books. It’s where I learned a love of reading, where I learned to treasure the adventures, the worlds, the cultures contained in those magical shelves. Even today, if traveling and feeling out of place, I will visit a library,” says Penny.
TMU Libraries’ Louise Penny Library Research Award, launching this semester, celebrates outstanding undergraduate effort demonstrated in a research paper (2,500 to 4,000 words) written for a course in which the student is currently enrolled.
The award is open to any TMU third- or fourth-year student enrolled in any program or discipline who maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students can submit a paper that demonstrates exemplary critical thinking and excellent research skills. The submission must show effective use of TMU Libraries’ collections and resources, and be accompanied by a short reflective essay on their research and learning process, as well as a brief statement of support from the course instructor.
Eligible students can submit their papers through AwardSpring. Three awards of $2,000 each are available to students whose work is selected by an adjudication committee.
“It is very exciting to have an author of such calibre recognize the crucial role of libraries in student learning and the importance of research skills in writing,” says Dean of Libraries, Mark Robertson.
Louise Penny, a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University (Radio and Television Arts ‘79), was a CBC journalist before embarking on a remarkable writing career. She has written 20 crime novels in the Armand Gamache series, many of which are New York Times bestsellers, as well as winning numerous awards. Her latest book, The Black Wolf, is listed in the Globe & Mail’s 100 most notable books in 2025. Penny holds several honorary doctorates, including one from TMU, and is a Member of the Order of Canada and an Officer of the National Order of Quebec.
The Louise Penny Library Research Award is not only a testament to Penny’s dedication to libraries, but also to her interest in supporting TMU students and their creative and scholarly achievements.
“These are vital institutions, and never more so than today, when literature is being banned, history rewritten or erased, voices silenced. Libraries are on the front line of critical thinking, of freedom of expression, of informed choice,” says Penny, further remarking that “in rewarding those who support its Library, TMU is doing a service far beyond the individual or the institution. It is an honour, a pleasure, to be part of that celebration.”