W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize
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The Writers' Trust of Canada () is a registered charity which provides financial support to Canadian writers. Founded by
Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...
,
Pierre Berton Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian historian, writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular cultur ...
,
Graeme Gibson Thomas Graeme Cameron Gibson (9 August 1934 – 18 September 2019) was a Canadian novelist.Margaret Laurence Jean Margaret Laurence (née Wemyss; July 18, 1926 – January 5, 1987) was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, and is one of the major figures in Canadian literature. She was also a founder of the Writers' Trust of Canada, a non-pr ...
, and David Young; the Writers' Trust celebrating with rewarding the talents and achievements of Canada's novelists, short story writers, poets, biographers, and other fictional and nonfictional writers, Through funding various awards, events and financial aid. It was registered as a
charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...
on March 3, 1976. The organization funds and administers a number of Canadian
literary award A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded Literature, literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award c ...
s; including the
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize The Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, formerly known as the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, is a Canadian literary award presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition of works submitted by publishers. ...
and the
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction The Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to the best work of non-fiction by a Canadian writer. Canada's most lucrative non-fiction prize, the winner re ...
. The organization funds programs and events to help emerging Canadian writers such as the annual ''Margaret Laurence Lecture'', given by a noted Canadian writer; writers' residencies at Berton House in
Dawson City Dawson City is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest municipality in Yukon. History Prior t ...
, Yukon; and the ''Woodcock Fund'', which provides emergency financial assistance to Canadian writers, named in memory of the Canadian poet
George Woodcock George Woodcock (May 8, 1912 – January 28, 1995) was a Canadian writer of political biography and history, an anarchist thinker, a philosopher, an essayist and literary critic. He was also a poet and published several volumes of travel wri ...
. Annual fundraisers include the Writers' Trust Gala in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and ‘Politics and the Pen’ in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
. Money raised to finance the charitable activities of the Writers' Trust is drawn almost exclusively from the
private sector The private sector is the part of the economy which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The private sector employs most of the workfo ...
."The Writers' Trust of Canada"
. ''
Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Co ...
'', 2012.


Management

The Writers' Trust of Canada is run by a board of directors composed of volunteers from the arts and business communities, and counseled by an Authors' Advisory Group composed of writers from across the country. Staff members see to the day-to-day operations out of a downtown Toronto office shared with the
Writers' Union of Canada The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is the national organization of professionally published writers. TWUC was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers, and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers. TWUC adv ...
.
Juries A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make findings of fact, and render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Most trial juries are " petit juries", an ...
are composed of writers based on recommendations by the Authors' Advisory Group; invitations are issued by the staff.


Awards

Prize winners are announced at the annual Writers' Trust Awards with the following exceptions: *The Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing is handed out at Politics and the Pen in Ottawa. *The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers winner is announced separately in the spring. *The Weston International Award is announced in spring with a feature event each Autumn. All awards are open to
citizens Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state. Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationality; ...
and
permanent residents Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with such l ...
of Canada. Winners are decided by an independent jury, usually consisting of three writers.


Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing

The
Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing The Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing is a Canadian literary award, presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada to the best nonfiction book on Canadian political and social issues. It has been presented annually in Ottawa at the Writers ...
was established in honour of
Shaughnessy Cohen Elizabeth Shaughnessy Cohen ( Murray; February 11, 1948 – December 9, 1998) was a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Windsor—St. Clair for the Liberal Party of Canada from 1993 until her death in 1998. Background She was bo ...
(1948–1998), an outspoken and popular Member of Parliament from
Windsor, Ontario Windsor ( ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...
; she died after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...
just seconds after standing to address her peers. A prize of is given annually to a book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. The winning work must combine compelling new insights with depth of research and significant literary merit. All finalist works should ideally demonstrate a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and analysis. The prize particularly values books which provide the general reader with an informed, unique perspective on the practice of Canadian politics, its players, or its principles. The jurors
shortlist A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
between three and five titles. Prizes of will be awarded to each of the finalists. Past winners include
Jane Jacobs Jane Isabel Jacobs (''née'' Butzner; 4 May 1916 – 25 April 2006) was an American-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics. Her book ''The Death and Life of Great American Ci ...
for ''
Dark Age Ahead ''Dark Age Ahead'' is a 2004 book by Jane Jacobs describing what she sees as the decay of five key "pillars" in "North America": community and family, higher education, science and technology, taxes and government responsiveness to citizen's need ...
'' and James Orbinski for ''An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action in the Twenty-first Century''.


RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers

The
RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a writer who has not yet published his or her first book. Formerly restricted to writers under age 35, the age li ...
was established by author Carolyn Smart and honours the memory of
Bronwen Wallace Bronwen Wallace (26 May 1945 – 25 August 1989) was a Canadian poet and short story writer. Life and career Wallace was born in Kingston, Ontario. She attended Queen's University, Kingston ( B.A. 1967, M.A. 1969). In 1970, she moved to Windsor ...
(1945 - 1989), a Canadian poet and short story writer who died of cancer at the age of 44. Two awards are given each year to emerging writers of any age in the genres of short fiction and poetry. Two finalists in each category receive . Past winners include
Michael Crummey Michael Crummey (born November 18, 1965) is a Canadian poet and a writer of historical fiction. His writing often draws on the history and landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador. He won the 2025 International Dublin Literary Award. Life and educ ...
and
Alison Pick Alison Pick (born 1975) is a Canadian writer. She is most noted for her Booker Prize-nominated novel ''Far to Go'', and was a winner of the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award for most promising writer in Canada under 35. Life and career Alison Pick i ...
. The
Royal Bank of Canada Royal Bank of Canada (RBC; ) is a Canadian multinational Financial institution, financial services company and the Big Five (banks), largest bank in Canada by market capitalization. The bank serves over 20 million clients and has more than ...
Foundation sponsors the award as part of their RBC Emerging Artists Project, which works to support talented young adults in their development of professional careers in
the arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of m ...
. In 2008, the prize presentation was moved from the fall to the spring, creating the absence of 2007's award. In 2020, the age limit was removed, opening the award up to Canadian emerging writers of any age.


Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction

Consisting of a grand prize and for each finalist, the
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction The Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to the best work of non-fiction by a Canadian writer. Canada's most lucrative non-fiction prize, the winner re ...
is the most lucrative for Canadian nonfiction literature. The prize is awarded for literary excellence in the category of nonfiction, which includes, among other forms: personal or
journalistic Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
essays, memoirs, commentary, both
social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...
and
political criticism Political criticism, also referred to as political commentary or political discussion, is a type of criticism that is specific of or relevant to politics, including policies, politicians, political parties, and types of government. See also * ...
, history, and biography. Finalist works should demonstrate, in the opinion of the jury, a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of
tone Tone may refer to: Visual arts and color-related * Tone (color theory), a mix of tint and shade, in painting and color theory * Tone (color), the lightness or brightness (as well as darkness) of a color * Toning (coin), color change in coins * ...
, narrative, style, and technique. The jury is free to interpret the definition of literary nonfiction as they see fit and finalist works are not required to encapsulate every aspect of the definition. First established in 1997, the award's original corporate sponsor was
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2005), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Pa ...
. Pearson Canada, an educational book publishing company, took over the award in 1999, and Nereus Financial, a stock brokerage firm, became the sponsor from 2006 to 2008. From 2008 until 2011, the award had no corporate sponsor. In 2011, philanthropist and former
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the representative in Ontario of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but i ...
, Hon. Hilary M. Weston, was announced as the award's new sponsor. Prior to Weston's
patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...
of the award, the prize was for the winner and for the finalists.


Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize

The
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize The Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, formerly known as the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, is a Canadian literary award presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition of works submitted by publishers. ...
, worth , is awarded to the novel or short story collection that, in the opinion of the judges, is the year's best book of fiction. Prizes of are also given to between three and five finalists. The winner, selected by a three-member, independent judging panel, is announced at the annual Writers' Trust Awards. Formerly known as the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, the award was renamed in January 2021 in honour of writer
Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...
and her late husband
Graeme Gibson Thomas Graeme Cameron Gibson (9 August 1934 – 18 September 2019) was a Canadian novelist.Rogers Communications Rogers Communications Inc. is a Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet, with significant additional telecommunications and mass media ass ...
sponsored the award from 1997-2019, when it was a prize. Canadian businessman and philanthropist
Jim Balsillie James Laurence Balsillie (born February 3, 1961) is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was the former chair and co-chief executive officer of the Canadian technology company Research In Motion (BlackBerry), which at its 2011 peak made ...
was announced as the new sponsor in 2021, bringing the top prize up to . Past prize winners include
Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro ( ; ; 10 July 1931 – 13 May 2024) was a Canadian short story writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Her work tends to move forward and backward in time, with integrated short story cycles. Munro's ...
(2004),
Lawrence Hill Lawrence Hill (born January 24, 1957) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, and memoirist. He is known for his 2007 novel '' The Book of Negroes'', inspired by the Black Loyalists given freedom and resettled in Nova Scotia by the British after the A ...
(2007), and David Chariandy (2017).


Writers' Trust Engel Findley Award

The Writers' Trust Engel Findley Award is given to a writer in mid-career for a body of work, and in anticipation of future contribution to Canadian literature. It was created in 2008 from two separate awards formerly known as the Marian Engel Award for female writers and the Timothy Findley Award for male writers.
Marian Engel Marian Ruth Engel (née Passmore; May 24, 1933 – February 16, 1985) was a Canadian novelist and a founding member of the Writers' Union of Canada. Her most famous and controversial novel was ''Bear'' (1976), a tale of erotic love between an ar ...
(1933–1985) was an award-winning Canadian novelist and passionate activist for the national and international writer's cause;
Timothy Findley Timothy Irving Frederick Findley, (October 30, 1930 – June 20, 2002) was a Canadian novelist and playwright.
(1930–2002) was an influential Canadian novelist and playwright. All Canadian and permanent resident writers in mid-career are considered and no age restrictions apply. For the purposes of this award, mid-career is defined as having published, in Canada, at least 3 books of literary merit which are predominantly fiction. The prize is worth ; the winner is selected by a three-member, independent judging panel and announced annually at the Writers' Trust Awards. There is no submission process. Past winners include
Miriam Toews Miriam Toews (; born 1964) is a Canadian writer and author of nine books, including '' A Complicated Kindness'' (2004), '' All My Puny Sorrows'' (2014), and '' Women Talking'' (2018). She has won a number of literary prizes including the Governo ...
and
Nino Ricci Nino Pio Ricci (born 1959) is a Canadian novelist who lives in Toronto, Ontario.Nino Ricci's
...
.


Matt Cohen Award: In Celebration of a Writing Life

Matt Cohen (1942–1999), winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction in 1999, was a celebrated and prolific writer who died from lung cancer at the age of 56. The Matt Cohen Award: In Celebration of a Writing Life was established by a group of anonymous donors in his memory. This prize is presented annually to a Canadian or permanent resident whose life has been dedicated to writing, in honour of distinguished work in poetry or
prose Prose is language that follows the natural flow or rhythm of speech, ordinary grammatical structures, or, in writing, typical conventions and formatting. Thus, prose ranges from informal speaking to formal academic writing. Prose differs most n ...
in either English or French. All Canadians and permanent residents dedicated to writing as a primary pursuit are considered. An independent jury selects the winner, and there is no submission process; the winner of the prize is announced at the annual Writers' Trust Awards. Past winners include
Jean Little Jean Little, CM (January 2, 1932 – April 6, 2020) was a Canadian writer of over 50 books. Her work mainly consisted of children's literature, but she also wrote two autobiographies: ''Little by Little'' and ''Stars Come Out Within''. Little ...
and
Mavis Gallant Mavis Leslie de Trafford Gallant, ( Young; 11 August 1922 – 18 February 2014), was a Canadian writer who spent much of her life and career in France. Best known as a short story writer, she also published novels, plays and essays. Person ...
.


Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People

Vicky Metcalf, a noted children's author and wife of George Cedric Metcalf, created this award in 1963 to stimulate the writing of literature for young Canadians. She held a passion for
storytelling Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cul ...
and published several children's books. The
Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People The Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, colloquially called the Vicky, is given annually at the Writers' Trust Awards to a writer or illustrator whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth". It is a top honour for ...
is worth and is limited to works written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. In contrast to other Writers' Trust literary prizes, qualifying authors published with a non-Canadian publisher are not excluded. An independent jury selects the winner and there is no submission process. The prize is announced annually at the Writers' Trust Awards. Past winners include
Robert Munsch Robert Norman Munsch (born June 11, 1945) is an American-born, Canadian children's author. Personal life and career Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 1945. He grew up in a family of nine children. Munsch gradua ...
and
Kenneth Oppel Kenneth Oppel (born August 31, 1967) is a Canadian children's writer. Biography Oppel was born in Port Alberni, and spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England, ...
. The award was known as the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature until a name change in 2013. It has been administered by the Writers' Trust since 2002 and was previously awarded by the Metcalf Foundation, which strives "to enhance the effectiveness of people and organizations working together to help Canadians imagine and build a just, healthy and creative society". The Metcalf Foundation continues to sponsor the annual award.


Writers' Trust McClelland and Stewart Journey Prize

The Writers' Trust McClelland & Stewart
Journey Prize The Journey Prize (officially called The Writers' Trust of Canada McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize) is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by McClelland and Stewart and the Writers' Trust of Canada for the best short stories published b ...
is made possible by
James A. Michener James Albert Michener ( or ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations, set in particular geographic locales ...
's donation of his Canadian royalty earnings from his novel ''Journey'', published by
McClelland & Stewart McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is owned by Random House of Canada, Penguin Random House of Canada, a branch of Penguin Random House, the international book publishing division of German media giant Bertelsmann. ...
in 1988. The Journey Prize is a award given annually to a new and developing writer of distinction for a short story published in a Canadian literary publication; there is no age restriction. The journal that published the winning entry also receives . A three-member, independent jury announces the winner at the annual Writers' Trust Awards. The longlist, chosen by the jury, is compiled each year to form the ''Journey Prize Stories'' anthology. Past winners include Timothy Taylor,
Yann Martel Yann Martel, (born June 25, 1963) is a Canadian author who wrote the Man Booker Prize–winning novel '' Life of Pi'', an international bestseller published in more than 50 territories. It has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and spe ...
, and
Yasuko Thanh Yasuko Nguyen Thanh (born June 30, 1971) is a Canadian writer and guitarist. She has lived in Canada, Mexico, Germany, and Latin America and she was named one of ten CBC Books' writers to watch in 2013. Thanh completed a Bachelor of Arts as well ...
.


Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers

Originally established as a grant in 2007, the
Dayne Ogilvie Prize The Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to an emerging Canadian writer who is part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer community. Origina ...
was founded in memory of Dayne Ogilvie by close personal friend, Robin Pacific. Ogilvie was a highly respected
freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
book editor, writer, and manager. A passionate lover of all the arts, he died in October 2006. The prize has been presented to a Canadian writer who is part of the
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
Q community and demonstrates great promise through a body of work of exceptional quality. It is the only prize of its kind in Canada serving the LGBTQ community; any self-identifying writer is eligible. While no age restriction exists, the prize is intended for those who are still developing their writing career. To qualify, writers must have published at least one book of fiction. The winner is selected by a three-member, independent jury and announced annually during Toronto's Pride Week; there is no submission process. Past winners include
Nancy Jo Cullen Nancy Jo Cullen is a Canadian poet and fiction writer, who won the 2010 Dayne Ogilvie Prize from the Writers' Trust of Canada for an emerging lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender writer.Farzana Doctor.


Latner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize

Created in 2014 in conjunction with the Latner Family Foundation, the Latner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize presents $25,000 to a Canadian poet who has published at least three collections of poetry, to honour their body of work."New prize to award $25,000 annually to Canadian poets"
. ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.
'', April 22, 2014.


Balsillie Prize for Public Policy

Endowed by former
Research in Motion BlackBerry Limited, formerly Research In Motion (RIM), is a Canadian software company specializing in secure communications and the Internet of Things (IoT). Founded in 1984, it developed the BlackBerry brand of interactive pagers, smartpho ...
CEO
Jim Balsillie James Laurence Balsillie (born February 3, 1961) is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was the former chair and co-chief executive officer of the Canadian technology company Research In Motion (BlackBerry), which at its 2011 peak made ...
, the
Balsillie Prize for Public Policy The Balsillie Prize for Public Policy is an annual Canada, Canadian literary award, presented to honour the year's best non-fiction work on public policy issues. Created in 2021, the award is presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada, and sponsored ...
honours Canadian writing on
public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a Group decision-making, decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to Problem solving, solve or address relevant and problematic social issues, guided by a conceptio ...
matters, and was presented for the first time in 2021.


Defunct awards


Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize

Beginning in 1999, the organization presented the
Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize The Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize was a Canadian literary award, presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a work judged as the year's best work of biography, autobiography or personal memoir by a Canadian writer."$10,000 biography award launch ...
to a book judged as the year's best work of biography, autobiography or memoir."$10,000 biography award launched". ''
Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as the Bytown ''Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the ''Ci ...
'', September 26, 1998.
Endowed by actor and writer
Claire Drainie Taylor Claire Drainie Taylor, née Wodlinger (September 11, 1917 – November 18, 2009) was a Canadians, Canadian actor and writer, who wrote and acted in radio and television productions for CBC Radio from the 1930s through the 1960s. Early life Bo ...
, the award was discontinued in 2006 after a reorganization of the awards program."Don't close the door on Berton House". ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'', August 18, 2007.


Gordon Montador Award

The
Gordon Montador Award The Gordon Montador Award was a Canadian literary award, presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada to honour non-fiction writing on social issues. Created in 1991 in memory of book editor and publisher Gordon Montador,"Award announced". ''The Globe ...
was presented for nonfiction work from 1993 to 1999, when it was superseded by a reorganization of the nonfiction awards.


Programs


Woodcock Fund

Established in 1989 by
George Woodcock George Woodcock (May 8, 1912 – January 28, 1995) was a Canadian writer of political biography and history, an anarchist thinker, a philosopher, an essayist and literary critic. He was also a poet and published several volumes of travel wri ...
and his wife Ingeborg, the Woodcock Fund provides emergency funding to professional Canadian writers mid-project who are facing an unforeseen financial need that threatens the completion of their book, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Each financial grant is given as one time assistance for a specific emergency. (The program does not consider requests for chronic situations or project funding; nor can it consider situations resulting from general indebtedness or unemployment.) All applications to the Fund are processed in confidence. Successful applicants are urged to acknowledge their grants in their books. From 1989-2020, the Woodcock Fund have to 250 writers.


Berton House Writers' Retreat

The Berton House Writers' Retreat provides a unique opportunity for 4 professional Canadian creative writers each year to work in a remote northern community for 3 months each. The writer is housed in a two-bedroom
bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is typically single or one and a half storey, if a smaller upper storey exists it is frequently set in the roof and Roof window, windows that come out from the roof, and may be surrounded by wide ve ...
in Dawson City, Yukon, the boyhood home of author Pierre Berton. Additionally, a  
honorarium An honorarium is an '' ex gratia'' payment, i.e., a payment made, without the giver recognizing themself as having any liability or legal obligation to the recipient for their volunteered services, or for services for which fees are not tradition ...
is provided to allow the author to focus in the remote setting. Over 80 authors have been invited to participate in the program since its inception in 1996, including Pasha Malla, Charlotte Gray, and Chris Turner. In the fall of 2006,
HGTV HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. HGTV Dream Home is an ...
's '' Designer Guys'' gave the bungalow an update on their popular interior design show.


Margaret Laurence Lecture

The Margaret Laurence Lecture series was created in honour of Margaret Laurence (1926–1987), a celebrated novelist and short story writer. The annual lecture series has invited some of Canada's most prominent authors to discuss the theme of "A Writer's Life" in front of their peers since 1987. Notable names such as
Dionne Brand Dionne Brand (born 7 January 1953) is a Canadian poet, novelist, essayist and documentarian. She was Toronto's third Poet Laureate from September 2009 to November 2012 and first Black Poet Laureate. She was admitted to the Order of Canada in ...
,
Tomson Highway Tomson Highway (born 6 December 1951) is an Indigenous peoples in Canada, Indigenous Canadian playwright, novelist, children's author and musician. He is best known for his plays ''The Rez Sisters'' and ''Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing'', ...
,
Olive Senior Olive Marjorie Senior (born 23 December 1941) is a Jamaican poet, novelist, short story and non-fiction writer based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was awarded the Musgrave Gold Medal in 2005 by the Institute of Jamaica for her contribution ...
,
Hugh MacLennan John Hugh MacLennan (March 20, 1907 – November 9, 1990) was a Canadian writer and professor of English at McGill University. He won five Governor General's Awards and a Royal Bank Award. Family and childhood MacLennan was born in Glace B ...
,
Mavis Gallant Mavis Leslie de Trafford Gallant, ( Young; 11 August 1922 – 18 February 2014), was a Canadian writer who spent much of her life and career in France. Best known as a short story writer, she also published novels, plays and essays. Person ...
, Timothy Findley,
W. O. Mitchell William Ormond Mitchell, (March 13, 1914 – February 25, 1998) was a Canadian writer and broadcaster. His "best-loved" novel is '' Who Has Seen the Wind'' (1947), which portrays life on the Canadian Prairies from the point of view of a smal ...
, Pierre Berton,
P. K. Page Patricia Kathleen Page, (23 November 1916 – 14 January 2010) was a Canadian poet,Peter ScowenP.K. Page dies at age 93 ''The Globe and Mail'', 14 January 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2010. though the citation as she was inducted as a Fellow of th ...
,
Dorothy Livesay Dorothy Kathleen May Livesay, (October 12, 1909 – December 29, 1996) was a Canadian poet who twice won the Governor General's Award in the 1940s, and was "senior woman writer in Canada" during the 1970s and 1980s.Mathews, R.D.. "Dorothy L ...
,
Alistair MacLeod Alistair MacLeod (July 20, 1936 – April 20, 2014) was a Canadian novelist, short story writer and academic. His powerful and moving stories vividly evoke the beauty of Cape Breton Island's rugged landscape and the resilient character of ma ...
, and Margaret Atwood, among others, have shared the personal challenges they faced in forging their own paths as writers. Approximately 45 minutes in length, the lectures are meant to provide a unique account of a period when a national writing community was just being formed. The series offers insight into the work of Canadian literature's heroes and heroines, the profession of writing as a whole, and Canada's unique cultural history. The Writers' Trust provides a honorarium to each speaker; an anthology of the lecture series was published in May 2011 by McClelland & Stewart to coincide with the 25th anniversary lecture.


Writers' Trust Mentorship

The Writers’ Trust Mentorship program provides guidance through one-on-one instruction to a developing writer from an established writer. Three mentors are selected by the Writers’ Trust, each working in one of the fields of fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction. Mentor select one mentee from a pool of applicants to work with over a 5-month period. Mentees receive .


Rising Stars

The Writers’ Trust Rising Stars program is a career development program. Authors in the early stages of their careers receive $5,000 and an endorsement from an influential Canadian author. Five notable Canadian writers each select one developing writer with potential. Through a mentorship component, selectors offer recipients feedback and advice. Rising Stars attend a series of professional and networking events and are invited to attend a two-week self-directed writing residency at the
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (formerly Banff Centre) is an arts and culture educational institution in Banff, Alberta. It offers arts programs in the performing and fine arts, as well as leadership training. It was established in 1933 ...
.


Fellowship

The WT Fellowship rewards one writer $50,000 for demonstrating exceptional creative ability and outstanding promise in their publications to date. The Fellowship is meant to provide recipients a window in which they can work on their next book with as much creative freedom as possible. Fellows are invited to attend a two-week, self-directed residency at the Leighton Artists’ Colony at The Banff Centre in Alberta. Writers who have a strong publishing track record in the categories of fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, or literature for young people are eligible.


Events and fundraisers


Politics and the Pen

The Politics and the Pen gala is a celebration of Canadian political and literary cultures run by an external committee, with Writers' Trust of Canada as its beneficiary. Held in Ottawa at the Fairmont Château Laurier, the event brings together national politicians, writers, diplomats, and leaders of the arts and business communities. The climax of the evening is the presentation of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, sponsored by CN. The event is popular among politicians and their friends; waiting lists for table sponsorships and individual tickets are common. The 2018 event was co-hosted by
Jagmeet Singh Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal (born January 2, 1979) is a Canadian former politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2017 to 2025 and as the Member of Parliament (Canada), member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby Sou ...
and
Bardish Chagger Bardish Chagger (born April 6, 1980) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Waterloo since 2015. A member of the Liberal Party, Chagger was the minister of small business and tourism from 2015 to 2018, Go ...
.


Writers' Trust Gala

The annual Writers' Trust Gala brings leaders of the business and arts communities together to celebrate writing and raise funds for the Writers' Trust of Canada. Corporate donors and individual patrons are seated at a table with a published Canadian author and enjoy an evening of conversation and literary entertainment. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised on this night alone, when more than fifty of Canada's top writers mingle with curious guests. Canadian publishers donate each attending author's recent book, ensuring that everyone goes home with a signed copy.


Literary salons

The Writers' Trust works with individuals to organize private fundraisers called literary salons. Events include dinner parties, evening cocktail parties, weekend brunches, wine tasting experiences, and children's tea parties, to raise funds for the organization. The Writers' Trust helps each host secure an ideal literary guest; past participating authors include
Lawrence Hill Lawrence Hill (born January 24, 1957) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, and memoirist. He is known for his 2007 novel '' The Book of Negroes'', inspired by the Black Loyalists given freedom and resettled in Nova Scotia by the British after the A ...
,
Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson ( zh, c=伍冰枝; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as the 26th governor general of Canada from 1999 to 2005. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941, as a refuge ...
,
Margaret MacMillan Margaret Olwen MacMillan (born 23 December 1943) is a Canadian historian and professor at the University of Oxford. She is former provost of Trinity College, Toronto, and professor of history at the University of Toronto and previously at Ryers ...
, and Robert Rotenberg. A literary salon helps to promote the work of a Canadian writer, and all proceeds support the charitable work of the Writers' Trust of Canada.


References


External links


Writers' Trust of Canada
{{Authority control Canadian writers' organizations * Arts organizations established in 1976 1976 establishments in Ontario