CBC Unveils the 2026 Short Story Prize Finalists

Five writers have been named finalists for the CBC Short Story Prize, selected from nearly 3,000 submissions from across the country. The announcement comes from CBC Books, in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, continuing the prize’s role as a national platform for standout short fiction.

This year’s finalists are:

Amber Allen (Guelph, Ont.) for Pattern Recognition

Kate Cayley (Toronto) for Anniversary

Larah Luna (Vancouver) for A Season of Crows

Carrie Mac (Vancouver) for How to Break Up with a Monster

Andy Stefan (Ottawa) for Low Water

All five shortlisted stories are now available to read on CBC Books.

The jury, made up of lauded authors Maria Reva, Terry Fallis, and Tracey Lindberg, worked through thousands of entries to arrive at a shortlist that reflects a wide range of voices, forms, and narrative approaches in contemporary Canadian fiction.

The winner will be announced on Thursday, May 7. The grand prize includes $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and publication on cbcbooks.ca. The four remaining finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, with all shortlisted stories also published on the site.

The complete shortlist and more information about the CBC Literary Prizes are available now on CBC Books.