Writers Trust of Canada

Prize Guidelines

A prize of $25,000 will be awarded to a literary non-fiction book that captures a political subject of interest to the Canadian reader. The judges will shortlist between three and five titles. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the other finalists.

The winning work will combine compelling new insights with depth of research. Strong consideration will be given to books that, in the opinion of the jury, have the potential to shape or influence Canadian political life. Literary non-fiction includes, among other forms, works of personal or journalistic essays, memoirs, commentary, and criticism, both social and political; history, and biography. Finalist works will demonstrate a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and technique. The overall effect of such writing should provide the general reader with an informed, unique perspective on the issue at hand. The prize is for literary excellence, and the jury will only select books they deem outstanding in this regard.

Nomination Process

The schedule for entering finished books (or bound galleys) is tied to their publication dates as follows:

• Deadline 1: Books published between January 1, 2012 and May 1, 2012 must be received on or before May 2, 2012.

• Deadline 2: Books published between May 2, 2012 and September 4, 2012 must be received on or before September 5, 2012.

• Deadline 3: Books published between September 5, 2012 and December 31, 2012 must be received on or before the final deadline of November 14, 2012.

Publishers are strongly encouraged to submit books prior to the deadlines. Submissions upon release of titles are appreciated. If a publisher, for any reason whatsoever, feels they cannot submit titles in accordance with the above schedule it is requested that they contact the Program Coordinator directly to discuss alternate arrangements. Publishers of books not yet published by the final deadline and not yet available in galley form will need to contact the Program Coordinator for an extension.

Eligibility Criteria

• Titles must be published in Canada between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. Books that are not yet in published form by the final deadline of November 14, 2012 may be submitted in page-proof form.
   
• Books must be English-language first-edition trade books published by a Canadian press, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

• 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, it will be divided as follows: $18,750 to the author, $6,2500 to the translator.)

• All books must have an ISBN number and be available in Canadian bookstores.

• Titles may be single-authored or co-authored. Multi-authored collections, anthologies, and conference proceedings are not eligible.

• Self-published books are not eligible.

• Ghostwritten books are not eligible.

• No more than 20% of the manuscript can have previously been published in book form.

• Books whose author was deceased at the time of publication are not eligible.

• Publishers should note that the prize is for literary excellence; they should only submit books they deem outstanding in this regard.

Number of Submissions

All Canadian-based publishers of original manuscripts may enter two books; companies publishing more than ten eligible nonfiction titles during the 2012 calendar year may add one book for every additional ten eligible books (or fraction thereof) on their nonfiction list, up to a maximum of five. For example, a publisher with a list of 18 qualifying nonfiction books would be entitled to submit three — two for the first ten and one for the next ten.

Required Materials

The following material must be submitted by November 14, 2012 to:

• Five copies of each eligible title in book form; or three bound galley proofs, with at least two copies of the finished book to be received by the Writers’ Trust by the end of the calendar year.
   
• A Writers’ Trust Awards Prize Entry Form listing all submitted titles and planned submissions sent with the first shipment of books (do not send mulitiple copies unless you make changes to your submission plans). To request a form please email: ahopkins@writerstrust.com.
   
•  Publishers submitting more than two titles must provide a list of all titles published during the calendar year on which that publisher’s eligibility is based. This list should should include authors, titles, and dates of publication.
   
• Electronic images of the author and book cover suitable for reproduction in print materials. Contact the Program Coordinator for instructions on uploading to our FTP site or send via email toahopkins@writerstrust.com. Please name each file by the prize genre, author name, and book title.

Jury Composition 

A three-person jury selects the winner and finalists of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. The jury acts independently of the Writers’ Trust 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 criteria. Each juror may request an unlimited number of additional titles from the publisher’s lists. 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 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 2013. The award will be presented shortly after in Ottawa at the Writers’ Trust
Politics and the Pen event. If an author is a finalist the publisher will agree to:

• Supply the Writers’ Trust with fifteen additional copies of the short-listed book for publicity.

• Affix stickers provided by the Writers’ Trust to finalist books and the winning book.

• Participate in promotion and publicity efforts undertaken by the Writers’ Trust and stress the importance of this with their authors.