Rewarding the best Canadian political writing
Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
Highlights
Prize
Winner: $40,000
Finalists: $5,000
Announcement Dates
Shortlist: Mar 18, 2026
Winner: Apr 29, 2026
Questions? Contact:
Devon Jackson, Associate Program Director
djackson@writerstrust.com
Gala Event
Learn more about Politics and the Pen
About the Prize
Established in honour of the outspoken and popular MP from Windsor, Ontario, the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing is awarded annually for an exceptional book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers. Sponsored by CN, the prize is awarded annually at the Politics and the Pen gala in Ottawa. In recognition of its 25th anniversary, the annual award has been increased from $25,000 to $40,000. Contributions to shortlisted finalists have also increased, from $2,500 to $5,000 to each author.
2026 Finalists
Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community
Maggie Helwig
Coach House Books
On the Ground: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent
Brian Stewart
Simon & Schuster Canada
Women Who Woke up the Law: Inside the Cases that Changed Women’s Rights in Canada
Karin Wells
Second Story Press
On Book Banning: Or, How the New Censorship Consensus Trivializes Art and Undermines Democracy
Ira Wells
Biblioasis
My affiliation with Writers’ Trust has connected me to a national network of writers and thinkers, and to politicians and policy makers. The generous prize will be used to support the research and writing of my next book.
— Rachel Giese
2018 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing winner
Sponsor
CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the US South through a 18,600-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.