Congratulations to Sara de Waal from the University of British Columbia, who won the 2022 top prize of $7,500 for her short story Cecilia and Richard
The three finalists, who eachreceived $1,000 and a $200 gift card from Munro's Books in Victoria, British Columbia were:
Ahmad Danny Ramadan (UBC) - The Miraculous Return of Khaled from the Dead
Evan Neilsen (U of C) - Harriet
James Cawkwell (U of A) - Tadpole
2020 Jurors
Thomas King
Thomas King is an award-winning writer whose work consists of fiction, non-fiction, short stories, radio plays, children’s books, and a mystery series. He has won numerous awards, including the 2003 Trillium Book Award for The Truth About Stories, the 2014 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction for The Back of the Turtle, and the RBC Taylor Prize and the B.C National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction for The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America. Thomas taught at the University of Lethbridge and he is a University Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph, where he taught Native Literature and creative writing until he retired.
Shelly Ambrose
Shelley Ambrose is the executive director and publisher of The Walrus, a national publication dedicated to sparking conversation on matters vital to Canadians. Shelley was previously a producer for CBC Radio. Shelley has been awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Volunteerism, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Arts and Letters.
Charles Demers
Charles Demers is the author of five books of fiction and non-fiction, including the bestselling satirical crime novel Property Values, which has been optioned for development as a feature film. He is also a comedian and his stand-up record Fatherland was nominated for the Juno Award for Best Comedy Album of the Year. He is a fan-favourite on CBC’s smash radio hit The Debaters.
Leslie Hurtig
Leslie is the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Writers Fest, an international, year-round festival that aims to connect people to outstanding books, ideas and dialogue. She has worked for some of Canada’s best bookstores and acted as a sales representative and publicist for some of North America’s great publishers.
Aritha van Herk
Aritha van Herk is the author of five novels, Judith, The Tent Peg, No Fixed Address, Places Far From Ellesmere, and Restlessness. Her non-fiction includes Mavericks: An Incorrigible History of Alberta, and The Age of Audacity (a history of the University of Calgary). Her most recent work, Stampede and the Westness of West, melds poetry and place-writing. She is a member of the Order of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has been honoured as one of the twenty-five most influential artists in Alberta.