New literary prize available for Alberta authors

To be eligible, the writer must be a resident of the province for the past five years, must have a minimum of four professionally published books and must be an active member of the local writing community. Authors may not self nominate and recipients will be selected by a jury of peers.

“It’s an open secret that the Canadian writing and publishing business is Toronto centric. This award was created, in part, to recognize how hard Prairie writers have to work to get noticed at all”, says Lisa Murphy Lamb, Jury Chair.

The funds are meant to allow a writer to focus on their work for a year or more.

It isn’t a book prize, organizers clarify; it’s awarded in acknowledgement of the author’s creation of a body of work of consistent high quality that has contributed to the public’s appreciation for and understanding of Western Canada’s landscape, people, history and culture.

“To acknowledge the juggling act that often occurs to write–another job, family, writer talks and readings–a prize like this opens up supportive opportunities to find more space to write, apply for residencies and travel for research,” according to Stacey Walyuchow, Marketing and Design.

“It also would feel like solid recognition for past work and the winning writer’s contribution to the prairie literary landscape.”

To learn more about the nomination process, visit https://www.prairiegrindstoneprize.ca/.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)/rdnewsNOW

New literary prize available for Alberta authors

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