Gary Barwin
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Awarding the best Canadian novel or short story collection of the year
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize
Highlights
Prize
Winner $60,000
Finalists $5,000
Winner Announcement
Thursday, November 13, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Devon Jackson, Senior Program Manager
djackson@writerstrust.com
About the Prize
Named in honour of Writers’ Trust co-founders and literary couple Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson, who started the organization in 1976 with the help of a few fellow writers and an aim to encourage a Canadian literary culture at home, the Atwood Gibson Prize recognizes writers of exceptional talent for the best novel or short story collection of the year.
The finalists are selected by a three-member, independent judging panel and the $60,000 winner is announced at the annual Writers’ Trust Awards. The prize is sponsored by the Balsillie Family Foundation.
We knew the role a major prize could have on a writer’s confidence and career, not to mention their bank account. I can’t wait to discover the new voices and new stories that this prize rewards.
— Margaret Atwood, Writers’ Trust co-founder
The Atwood Gibson Prize is fantastic news for Canadian writers. Margaret and Graeme lit the founding fire that brought the Writers’ Trust into being so many years ago. This prize is a perfect way to commemorate their vision and commitment to the broad ecosystem of our literary culture.
— David Young, Writers’ Trust co-founder
Having recently arrived in the country, reading a spread of contemporary fiction gives me a better insight into the various facets of Canadian culture than any tour guide possibly could.
— Zaneta Laurence, supporter
Sponsor
The Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize is sponsored by the Balsillie Family Foundation.