The 2024 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction Finalists Have Been Announced

The Writers’ Trust of Canada have just announced the five finalists for the 2024 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. The prize is the richest annual literary award for a book of nonfiction by a Canadian writer, and annually shines a light on some of the most dynamic, riveting, and important works of nonfiction in the Country.

Some exceptional independent presses are represented on the shortlist this year, including Coach House Books, Arsenal Pulp Press, and Zibby Books. Overall, the finalists are a fascinating cross-section of cultural and societal issues that affect people within Canada, and beyond its borders.

A jury composed of Canadian nonfiction writers Annahid Dashtgard, Taylor Lambert, and Christina Sharpe selected this year’s shortlist. In total, 117 titles were submitted by 74 publishing imprints. Each finalist receives $5,000; the winner receives an additional $70,000. Co-authors split prize monies.

The 2024 finalists are:     

Martha Baillie (Toronto)
for There Is No Blue (Coach House Books)

Chase Joynt (Toronto)
for Vantage Points: On Media as Trans Memoir (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Amy Lin (Calgary)
for Here After: A Memoir (Zibby Books)

Lisa Moore (St. John’s) and Jack Whalen (Oshawa, ON)
for Invisible Prisons: Jack Whalen’s Tireless Fight for Justice (Knopf Canada)

Jenny Heijun Wills (Winnipeg)
for Everything and Nothing At All: Essays (Knopf Canada)

The jury shared this citation for the finalist works:

“As Canada’s top award for literary nonfiction, the Hilary Weston Prize elevates the art of fact-based writing and shines a light on who we are, how we make sense of our shared experiences, and what we can bring to the road ahead,” said David Leonard, executive director of Writers’ Trust of Canada. “We look forward to seeing these five fine books in the hands of readers across the country and beyond, and hope they bring people new insights that they can apply to their own lives.”

Congratulations to all of the 2024 finalists, and to their publishers. The prizewinner will be announced on November 19 at the annual Writers’ Trust Awards ceremony, hosted at CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.   

______________________________________________

About the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction 

The Hilary Weston Prize is awarded annually for excellence in literary nonfiction. Past winners include Christina Sharpe for Ordinary Notes, Dan Werb for The Invisible Siege, Tomson Highway for Permanent Astonishment, Rosemary Sullivan for Stalin’s Daughter, and Naomi Klein for This Changes Everything.   

Honoured books are, in the opinion of the jury, the year’s best works of Canadian nonfiction and demonstrate a distinctive voice as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and technique. This award has been sponsored by The Hon. Hilary M. Weston since 2011 and is funded this year by The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation. Beginning in 2023, the prize purse was increased from $60,000 to $75,000.  

For more information on this year’s finalists visit writerstrust.com/nonfiction. Photos of the nominated writers are available to download. The shortlisted titles will be available in accessible formats for different types of print disability through the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) at celalibrary.ca/awards.     

About Writers’ Trust   

Writers’ Trust of Canada is a charitable organization that seeks to support and celebrate Canadian writers and writing through a portfolio of programs including 11 literary awards, financial grants, career development initiatives for emerging writers, and a writers’ retreat. Writers’ Trust programming is designed to champion excellence in Canadian writing, to improve the status of writers, and to create connections between writers and readers.    

The Writers’ Trust Awards ceremony on November 19 is made possible by numerous corporate, foundation, and individual sponsors. The project is partially funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage. Media partner The Globe and Mail provides additional support. 
Learn about Canadian writers and writing at writerstrust.com