CBC Short Story Contest Announces Shortlist, Including Giller-Nominated Alix Hawley

The CBC Literary Prizes are some of the biggest in the country, both in terms of profile and in terms of their prizes. The awards, which partner with the Canada Council for the Arts, Air Canada, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, each carry a $6,000 prize purse, as well as a Banff writer's residency and publication in Air Canada's En Route.

This year's Short Story Prize list is notable for including Alix Hawley, who has published a collection of short fiction as well as her Scotiabank Giller Prize-nominated novel, All True Not a Lie In It. While the CBC prize has traditionally featured more emerging writers, it's not at all unheard of for a more familiar name to pop up on the shortlists. 

The 2017 CBC Short Story Prize finalists are:

• Alix Hawley of Kelowna, British Columbia for Witching
• Kasia Juno of Montreal, Quebec—raised in Nelson, B.C., for The Peninsula of Happiness
• Krzysztof J. Pelc of Montreal, Quebec for The Duolect
• Jasmina Odor of Edmonton, Alberta—raised in Etobicoke, Ont., for Everyone Has Come
• Meg Todd of Vancouver, British Columbia—grew up in Calgary, Alta., for Warrior

The jurors for this year’s CBC Short Story Prize are Jen Sookfong Lee, Shyam Selvadurai and Marina Endicott. The winner will be announced tomorrow, April 19. You can read the finalists' pieces online and pick your favourite as the CBC website.