The Writers' Trust Unveils the Rising Stars of 2026!

Five emerging Canadian writers are getting a major career boost this spring as Writers’ Trust of Canada announces its 2026 Writers’ Trust Rising Stars cohort.

The annual program pairs early-career writers with established Canadian authors for a year of mentorship, while also providing each Rising Star with a $5,000 prize and a two-week residency at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts. Since launching in 2019, the initiative has become one of the country’s most visible mentorship programs for emerging writers working across fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

This year’s selected writers come from across Canada and represent a wide range of literary styles and subject matter, from intimate explorations of identity and community to formally adventurous and historically engaged work.

The 2026 Writers’ Trust Rising Stars are:

Aaron Chan (Vancouver, BC), selected by Paul Seesequasis

Curtis John McRae (Senneville, QC), selected by Michael Winter

Cassandra Myers (Richmond Hill, ON), selected by Amber Dawn

Vinh Nguyen (Toronto, ON), selected by Sarah Cox

Siavash Saadlou (Coquitlam, BC), selected by Rawi Hage

Part of what distinguishes the program is its emphasis on long-term artistic development rather than a single project or publication. Mentorships are individually shaped by each writer pair and can include editorial guidance, conversations about craft, industry introductions, and support navigating the practical realities of a writing career.

The program arrives at a time when emerging writers are facing increasingly difficult publishing conditions, making mentorship opportunities and direct financial support especially meaningful. Over the past several years, the Rising Stars initiative has helped elevate a growing number of writers who have gone on to publish acclaimed books, receive national award recognition, and establish themselves within Canada’s literary community.

“It’s truly a delight to see this year’s WT Rising Stars cohort. Our mentor authors have done a tremendous job identifying the authors of the future, and we’re all excited to see the great works to come,” said David Leonard, executive director of Writers’ Trust of Canada. “The WT Rising Stars program depends on the support pf our partners at BMO and our annual donors, and we are extremely grateful that they see the value of a career development program like Rising Stars. Now is a time to lift up and celebrate the people who are telling Canadian stories in many forms, and our funding partners are leading the way in supporting the future cultural life of the country.”  

Writers’ Trust is accepting public nominations for the 2027 Rising Stars program until Monday, Oct 5 at midnight PT. Mentors have freedom to bring their own candidates into consideration and flexibility to interpret what “early career” means, so writers with a range of experience are eligible. To view the program’s full eligibility details and to recommend a future star, visit writerstrust.com/RisingStars 

Images of the 2026 Rising Stars and mentors are available for download.   

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About The Program

Launched in 2019, the Writers’ Trust Rising Stars program annually recognizes five talented authors in the early stages of their careers and highlights their work with an endorsement from an established Canadian author. Each WT Rising Star receives $5,000, a flexible mentorship, and a two-week self-directed writing residency. Mentorships are tailored to each pair of writers and can take many forms, including manuscript review, in-depth conversations on the craft of writing, concept consultation on works in development, and important introductions to agents and editors. Writers’ Trust’s residency partner is Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts. For more information about the program visit writerstrust.com/RisingStars 

About Writers’ Trust  of Canada 

Writers’ Trust of Canada was founded in 1976 by writers — Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laurence, and David Young — with a goal to make Canada the best place in the world to be a writer. 50 years later, it is Canada’s leading charitable organization that advances, nurtures, and celebrates Canadian writers and writing. Through a portfolio of programs that includes 14 literary awards, financial grants, career development initiatives for emerging writers, and a residency, Writers’ Trust ensures that readers have the very best Canadian writers to choose from. 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. Canada’s writers receive more financial support from Writers’ Trust than from any other non-governmental organization in the country. Additional information is available at writerstrust.com