Writers' Trust of Canada - 50 Years
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An event in support of Writers’ Trust

Politics and the Pen

Highlights

Date
April 29, 2026

Information & Sponsorship

Lisa Shaw, Development Manager
lshaw@writerstrust.com

About the event

Politics and the Pen /  la politique et l'écrit

Politics and the Pen is a unique fundraiser that celebrates Canadian political and literary cultures and brings together national politicians, talented writers, prominent diplomats, and notable arts and business leaders. The event is the backdrop for the annual presentation of the $40,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, sponsored by CN.

Writers' Trust of Canada extends enormous thanks to the Politics and the Pen committee members. By directing the funds from this event to Writers’ Trust, this committee is supporting the Writers’ Trust's ability to advance, nurture, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing. Thanks to the work and generosity of this independent volunteer committee, Politics and the Pen has cumulatively raised more than $5 million, with the net proceeds directed to support Writers’ Trust literary programs.

Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing

Maggie Helwig

Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community

Brian Stewart

On the Ground: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent​

Karin Wells

Women Who Woke up the Law: Inside the Cases that Changed Women’s Rights in Canada

Ira Wells

On Book Banning​: Or, How the New Censorship Consensus Trivializes Art and Undermines Democracy

More about the prize