Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize

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Prize Guidelines

A prize of $60,000 will be awarded to the novel or short story collection published between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025 that, in the opinion of the jurors, is the year’s best book of fiction. The jurors will shortlist between three and five titles. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists.

Eligibility Criteria

• Publishers should note that the prize is for literary excellence and therefore they should only submit books they deem outstanding in this regard.
• Titles must be published between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025 (“the eligibility period”). Titles that are not yet in final published form by the final deadline of June 25, 2025 should be submitted as ARCs or comb-bound galleys.
• Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books, written by Canadian citizens or by someone with permanent resident status. Previous publication in another country does not disqualify a book.
• Translations from other languages into English are eligible and will be considered in the year in which the English translation is published. In the event of a translation winning, the prize money will be divided as follows: $45,000 to the author, $15,000 to the translator. Translators do not require Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.
• To be eligible to submit books for consideration, publishing houses must have a professional editorial process independent from the authors whose books are submitted. They must not charge authors for publishing.
• Imprints must be editorially independent to be permitted to submit books in addition to submissions from their parent company.
• All books must have an ISBN and be available in Canadian bookstores for some duration during the prize eligibility period.
• Titles may be authored by up to two authors; books by more than two authors, edited collections, anthologies, and conference proceedings are not eligible.
• Self-published books are not eligible.
• Ghostwritten books are not eligible.
• Books written for children are not eligible.
• No more than 20% of the manuscript can have previously been published in book form.
• Books whose author was deceased before the book’s publication date are not eligible.

Nomination Process

The schedule for submissions is tied to publication dates as follows:

Deadline 1: February 26, 2025 - for books published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025

Deadline 2: April 30, 2025 - for books published between February 26, 2025 and April 29, 2025

Deadline 3: June 25, 2025 - for books published between April 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025

Publishers are strongly encouraged to submit titles prior to the deadlines. Submissions upon release of titles are appreciated. Titles that are not yet in final published form by the final deadline of June 25, 2025 should be submitted as ARCs or comb-bound galleys.

Number of Submissions

All publishers of original manuscripts may enter two books that meet the Eligibility Criteria. Some publishers will publish more than two books that are eligible for the prize. Companies publishing more than five eligible fiction titles during the eligibility period may add one book for every additional two eligible (or fraction thereof) on their fiction list, up to a maximum of four. See our chart below for reference.

5 or fewer books published - eligible to submit 2
6-7 books published - eligible to submit 3
8 or more books published - eligible to submit 4

Determining How Many Books You Can Submit

1. Create a list of all fiction books that meet the Eligibility Criteria above that your company has published between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025.
2. Count the number of titles on this list. Compare this number to the ranges in the left column of the chart above. Based on the result, you may submit the corresponding number of titles in the right column.
3. Save this list. You might need to submit it with your books (see below).

Required Materials

The following must be received by Writers' Trust by 5pm ET on each submission's corresponding deadline:

• Five copies of each eligible title in book form OR three copies of the title as ARCs/comb-bound galleys. If submitting ARCs/comb-bound galleys, only two copies of the finished book are required to be sent to Writers’ Trust upon publication.
• A completed Atwood Gibson Prize online submission form listing all submitted titles and planned submissions. The webform can be accessed via the "Application Form" button at the top of this page.
• Colour images of the author and book cover suitable for reproduction in print materials. Please name each file “AG25_AuthorLastName, FirstName (cr. Photographer Name)” and “AG25_BookTitle_Book Cover.”
• A PDF copy of each submitted title (attached via our webform). A PDF must be submitted in addition to, not in place of, five book form copies. Please name this file “AG25_AuthorLastName_BookTitle.”
• Publisher’s list of eligible titles for jury call-in. More information is available on the webform.

Jury Composition

A three-person jury selects the winner and finalists of the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Each juror may request an unlimited number of additional titles from a publisher’s list. Such titles are on equal footing with all other submissions, provided that their publishers agree to abide by the conditions laid out in this document.

The jury acts independently of Writers’ Trust and prize sponsor(s) and is charged with interpreting the mandate and eligibility criteria of the prize, as well as determining which of the submissions best reflect the prize mandate. In evaluating the writing, literary merit is the sole criterion. The judgment of the jury in selecting the winners, determining eligibility, and interpreting these rules is final.

Announcement of Nominees & Winners

The list of finalist authors will be announced in early fall 2025 and the award will be presented in November 2025 at the Writers' Trust Awards.

Sponsorship Disclosure

The Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize is supported by the Balsillie Family Foundation.

Publisher Obligations

Prior to submission, the publisher will agree to:

• Verify that each author a) retains Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, and b) is willing to be submitted to the award.

If an author is a finalist, the publisher will agree to:

• Supply the Writers’ Trust with 22 additional copies of the shortlisted book for publicity.
• Affix finalist/winner prize stickers (provided by Writers’ Trust) to shortlisted/winning books OR ensure digital prize seal is superimposed on the cover of future print runs.
• Participate in promotion and publicity efforts undertaken by Writers’ Trust and stress the importance of this with their authors.
• Commit resources, in accordance to their ability, to ensure shortlisted authors are able to attend prize-related events in 2025.