The Writers' Trust of Canada's
Matt Cohen Prize - In Celebration of a Writing Life
Supported by anonymous donors
$20,000

Established in 2001 by the Writers' Trust of Canada and a group of anonymous donors, the Matt Cohen Award recognizes a lifetime of distinguished work by a Canadian writer, working in either poetry or prose in either French or English. Valued at $20,000, it is one of the richest literary awards in the country.

Matt Cohen died of cancer in December 1999, at the age of 56. His first novel was published in 1969 and during his writing career he published 34 books, including novels, short stories, poetry and books for children. Cohen also worked on behalf of Canadian writers through his long association with the Writers' Union of Canada. He was a founding member of the Writers’ Union, and served as an executive member for many years.

2009 Recipient
Paul Quarrington was a humorist, novelist,
playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, and musician,
who won numerous awards for his work, including the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour for his novel King Leary. King Leary was also picked as the winner of Canada Reads 2008. His Governor General’s Award-winning Whale Music was made into a critically acclaimed feature film. He also won awards for his writing for the television series Due South and for his screenplay for Perfectly Normal. A member of the music band PorkBelly Futures, Quarrington lived and worked in Toronto where he mentored other writers through writing programs with Humber College and University of Toronto. His most recent book, The Ravine, was published in 2008. In 2009 he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. He passed away on January 21, 2010.

Previous Winners

2008 Sylvia Fraser
2007 David Helwig
2006 Marie-Claire Blais
2005 Janet Lunn
2004 Howard Engel
2003 Audrey Thomas
2002 Fred Bodsworth
2001 Norman Levine
2000 Mavis Gallant

Guidelines (click to download PDF)