Draft:Sam Forster

Samuel Forster is a Canadian American journalist and cultural critic whose 2024 book, Americosis, was awarded the Sutherland House Prize for Non-Fiction..

Early life
Forster studied at the University of Alberta where he received his bachelor of arts degree. He later moved to Toronto and earned a master's degree from the University of Toronto.

While in Toronto, Forster was a graduate associate at the Centre for Ethics where he researched the application of neuroscientific evidence in criminal court proceedings.

Career
Forster has contributed to various print and digital publications, including Canada's National Observer and City & State, primarily writing about culture and economic affairs.

In 2022, Forster moved to Argentina and began working as a reporter for The Buenos Aires Times, an English-language newspaper owned by Perfil. Among his first assignments was covering the political turmoil that gripped Argentina's congress in the wake of the assassination attempt on then vice-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

During the spring of 2023, Forster travelled throughout Ukraine, covering the Russo-Ukrainian War as a correspondent for The National Post and Unherd

In the aftermath of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, while reporting on pro-Palestine demonstrations in Montreal, Forster published video footage that became the centre of controversy in the Canadian media. Responding to the footage, Canadian Minister of Immigration Marc Miller released a public statement expressing serious concern: "Disgusted and ashamed to see these scenes glorifying death and terror, in Montreal, the city I love and the city I represent. Hamas is a terrorist organization and nobody should glorify their bloody cowardly violence." Alberta member of parliament Mike Lake also responded to the footage, condemning the protestors.

Americosis
2024 marked the publication of Forster's first full-length book: Americosis. Forster's manuscript was selected by Sutherland House as the winner of the firm's inaugural non-fiction prize, an award that Sutherland House president Kenneth Whyte announced in response to a lack of support for non-fiction projects by the Canada Council.

The American Spectator praised Americosis for its creative ambition, noting that "like the documentarian Frederick Wiseman, Forster possesses a kind of cinema verité style for his subject."

In the pages of The American Conservative, Harry Scherer offered strong critical praise: "A blend of cultural analysis, data collection, and bright journalistic color, Forster offers a delicate treatment of coarse content."

Seven Shoulders
Forster's second book, Seven Shoulders: Taxonomizing Racism in Modern America, generated significant international controversy upon its announcement. The book is a modern adaptation of John Howard Griffin's Black Like Me, an immersive work of creative non-fiction published in 1961.