Acclaimed Indigenous author Lee Maracle on decolonizing literature and the issues with books schools choose to iconize. Maracle looks retrospectively at her own writing life, contemporaries, and community, and asks why Indigenous women continuously come last in Canada ..read more

The Matt Cohen Award: In Celebration of a Writing Life annually celebrates a senior Canadian poet’s with a $25,000 prize in recognition of literary excellence and lifelong devotion to writing. Listen to the 2020 prizewinner Dennis Lee discuss his lifelong fascination with ‘polyphony,’ which he illustrates by reading from his children’s and adult poetry. Lee is interviewed by publisher Patsy Aldana, one of the prize jurors. Their conversation was part of the 2020 Writers’ Trust Awards: Career Honours Edition ..read more

The Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize recognizes the Canadian writer of the year’s best novel or short story collection and rewards them with $50,000. The 2020 finalists were selected by a jury composed of writers Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Waubgeshig Rice, and Yasuko Thanh. Listen to them discuss what it was like to wade through 100+ books together and why they selected the five prize finalists they did ..read more

The Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction is given for the year’s best work of Canadian nonfiction and spotlights books with a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and technique. The eventual winner receives $60,000. The 2020 finalists were selected by a jury composed of writers Helen Knott, Sandra Martin, and Richard Wright. Listen to them discuss what it’s like to be on a literary prize jury, the tricks and techniques they used to wade through 100+ books, and what was remarkable about the finalists they chose ..read more

Join the Writers’ Trust of Canada in celebrating the rising stars of Canadian literature. The country’s next generation of literary talent took the stage at the unveiling of a multi-faceted career development program that advances their careers and highlights their work with an endorsement from a proven, influential author. Five notable Canadian writers have each chosen one writer who is poised to produce exceptional and enduring creative work. Hear from program participants David Chariandy, Charlotte Gray, and Taras Grescoe, and meet the up-and-coming talents of Canadian literature: Melissa J ..read more

Canadian playwright, novelist, and composer Tomson Highway shares observations and insights from his writing life in the Margaret Laurence Lecture. He details his introduction and appreciation to Canadian literature, the emergence of Indigenous authors in Canadian publishing during the last 40 years, and the differences between languages, particularly between English, one of his adopted language, and Cree, his first language. The lecture was recorded in Toronto’s Fleck Dance Theatre during the 2018 Canadian Writers’ Summit ..read more

The $50,000 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize recognizes the best Canadian novel or short story collection. Listen to the shortlisted authors for this prestigious award--Carleigh Baker, Claire Cameron, David Chariandy, Omar El Akkad and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson--in conversation at the International Festival of Authors in Toronto on October 25, 2017. Hosted and moderated by Becky Toyne. 1:08 - Omar El Akkad 8:27 - Leanne Betasamosake Simpson 15:12 - Claire Cameron 24:30 - David Chariandy 32:08 - Carleigh Baker 39:57 - Group discussion ..read more

Canadian writer, essayist, and editor John Metcalf shares stories and insights from his writing life in the Margaret Laurence Lecture. He details what makes good writing work with numerous examples, and reveals a touching anecdote about a remarkable intervention from Margaret Laurence herself that inspired him to encourage and guide several generations of younger writers. The lecture was recorded in Vancouver’s Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema during the 2017 OnWords Conference ..read more

Hear three rising stars of Canadian literature (Tyler Engström, Domenica Martinello, and Noor Naga) read their poems during the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award ceremony. This is an award that highlights Canada’s best, developing writers, and it has a track-record for spotlighting future bestselling and literary-award winning talent. Hosted by poet Laura Clarke, who won the Wallace Award in 2013, this podcast concludes with the announcement of this year’s prizewinner. The prize presentation ceremony was recorded in Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music on May 31, 2017. 1:14 - 7:15 -- Tyler Engström r ..read more

Zoe Whittall is the author of 4 books of fiction and 3 collections of poetry. In 2008, following the publication of her first novel, Bottle Rocket Hearts, she received the Dayne Ogilvie Award for LGBT Emerging Writers. She appeared at the Women’s Art Association in Toronto to talk about her new novel, The Best Kind of People, a gripping story about a crisis of trust and suspicion that develops when a family patriarch and affable small town hero is accused of sexual impropriety. The event was part of the Writers’ Trust of Canada Author Series program and was recorded on May 17, 2017 ..read more