For powerful perspectives on the future of Canada
Balsillie Prize for Public Policy
Highlights
Prize
Winner $70,000
Finalists $7,500
Important Dates
Shortlist announcement: Sep 29, 2026
Winner announcement: Nov 24, 2026
Questions? Please contact:
Devon Jackson, Associate Program Director
djackson@writerstrust.com
About the Prize
The Balsillie Prize for Public Policy is awarded annually for a book of nonfiction that advances and influences policy debates on a wide range of social, political, economic, or cultural topics relevant to Canadians. The prize celebrates excellence in quality of thought and style and underlines the important role books play in advancing public discourse and bringing new ideas to Canadian policymakers.
The selected books will combine new insights with impressive research, offering thought-provoking contributions to debates on issues that impact both public consciousness and Canadian policymakers. The Balsillie Prize especially values bold works that bring public policy issues to the general reading public.
2025 marked the 5th anniversary of the award, which is funded by the Balsillie Family Foundation as part of a $3 million commitment to supporting Canadian literature through Writers’ Trust. In recognition of the anniversary, the prize purse was increased from $60,000 to $70,000 to the winner, and $5,000 to $7,500 to each finalist (co-authors to evenly divide prize monies), for a total of $92,500 awarded annually.
2026 Finalists
The Astonishing Lives of Older Women: How to Create Pleasure Over Peril in Peak Longevity
Moira Welsh
ECW Press
We Breed Lions: Confronting Canada's Troubled Hockey Culture
Rick Westhead
Random House Canada
Wild Fire: Dispatches from a Country Ablaze
Jesse Winter
HarperCollins Publishers
The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity
Tim Wu
Alfred A. Knopf
“For Canadians, By Canadians” — The Balsillie Prize for Public Policy
These books provide new and thoughtful ideas for a better future for all Canadians. My hope is the shortlist will inspire discussions and debate at home and in policy communities that ultimately contribute to the development of smart public policy for our country.
Jim Balsillie, Prize Sponsor
Jim Balsillie’s investment in Canadian writers and his commitment to the power and influence of books is extraordinary. The Balsillie Prize is a tremendous opportunity to bring greater attention to the important conversations Canadians — and Canadian writers — are having about creating a stronger and more inclusive country.
Catherine Clark, Past Writers’ Trust Chair
Supporter
The Balsillie Prize for Public Policy is funded by the Balsillie Family Foundation as part of a $3 million commitment to supporting Canadian literature through Writers’ Trust.