The Writers’ Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize prides itself in introducing readers to the next generation of great Canadian writers. The award is given annually to emerging writers of distinction for a short story or excerpt from a fiction work-in-progress. But we recognize that not all voices are given the same opportunities or heard equally. As such, the Journey Prize commits to amplifying the voices of writers who have historically been marginalized by systemic inequality, including within the publishing ecosystem.
The 33rd edition of Canada’s most acclaimed fiction anthology proudly continues its tradition of promoting the work of historically marginalized writers by dedicating space to the best emerging Black writers. The Journey Prize Stories comprises a selection from submissions made by the editors of literary magazines and annual anthologies from across the country who, in their view, are the most exciting writing in English by emerging Black writers whom they have published in the past three years. Submissions of previously unpublished stories were also accepted from writers directly.
Beginning with this edition and continuing into future editions, each writer with a story selected for inclusion in the anthology will be considered a Writers’ Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize winner and will receive $1,000, a decision aimed at making the prize more equitable and to further its reach. The prize will receive additional publicity from the 2023 Writers' Trust Amplified Voices campaign which promoted the work of BIPOC Canadian writers.
The prize is supported by James A. Michener’s donation of his Canadian royalty earnings from his novel Journey.
