Your Guide to Canadian Literary Contests

Most of Canada’s major literary awards are given in the fall. It’s when we hear talk of the Governor General’s Literary Awards or the Scotiabank Giller Prize awarded this year to Elizabeth Hay. Past winners of the Giller include Mordecai Richler and Margaret Atwood and the 2007 long list included such literary luminaries as Michael Ondaatje and M.G. Vassanji.

If you haven’t made your name in the literary world, but have what could be that great Canadian classic sitting on your laptop, there are a host of literary contests and other avenues where you can make your name, maybe win a cash prize or even catch the eye of a literary agent. Deadlines for each prize vary.

Where to Start

CBC Literary Awards: Air Canada’s in-flight magazine, enRoute teams up with CBC and Radio-Canada for the annual CBC Literary Awards – Canada's only literary competition for English- and French-language, unpublished works.

Anyone can enter and many do. Thousands of people from across the country submit their creative non-fiction, short stories and poetry for a fall deadline. A panel of established and up-and-coming literary members judge the submissions. The winners are published in enRoute, broadcast on CBC or Radio Canada and are often hailed as tomorrow’s literary superstars. Previous winners include Camilla Gibb and Carol Shields, who won before they were internationally known authors.

The $10,000 Journey Prize, now known as The Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize is awarded annually to a new and developing writer of distinction for a short story published in a Canadian literary publication. The Journey Prize is the most significant monetary award given in Canada to a writer at the beginning of his or her career for a short story or excerpt from a fiction work-in-progress. 

Take 1200 words and play – send your short fiction or creative nonfiction, for a chance to win prize money, a broadcast on CBC Radio and publication in Maisonneuve Magazine. The Quebec Writer’s Federation and Véhicule Press are also partners in the 2007 Quebec Writing Competition.

Poetry

If you lean toward rhyming stanzas, Arc Poetry Magazine offers five contests including Poem of the Year with a top prize of $1,500, though be warned: the judges are picky. Send your best works only. 

Grain Magazine has an annual poetry contest for original, unpublished poems. The Saskatchewan-based quarterly has been running the Short Grain Contest for 18 years and offers $6,000 in prize money.

Humour

If you think your writing is amusing, check out the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. The prize, named in honour of the celebrated writer of Orillia, Ontario, is awarded every year and is the only one of its kind for Canadian humour. A cash prize of $10,000 accompanies the award.

Young Readers

Your writing may appeal to children and young readers. Several book awards mark and reward excellence in the field of writing and illustrating for a younger audience. The Canadian Children's Book Centre maintains a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the Canadian book awards in this field.

Crime

The Arthur Ellis Awards, named after the nom de travail of Canada's official hangman, recognize excellence in Canadian crime writing. Prizes are given in six categories for works in the crime genre published for the first time in the previous year by authors living in Canada, regardless of their nationality, or by Canadian writers living outside of Canada.

Tools of the Trade

Those looking for a shortcut to success are advised to keep dreaming! While there are no magic pills or direct routes to literary stardom, there are a few tools of the trade that may help guide unknown writers from obscurity into the public eye:

• Quill & Quire: This Canadian trade magazine lists agents and deals in the works and offers an insight into the publishing world in Canada. You’ll learn the key players and industry news. 

• The Writer’s Trust of Canada: This association offers a number of prizes, though submissions are accepted only from publishers, in most instances. Learn what works and how to gear your writing based on past winners’ works.

Tools aside, the best place to start is with the written word, because nothing beats a great story.

By Fateema Sayani, October 2006, updated November 2007

Read the French version of this article for even more links on Canadian Literary Prizes.