Writers' Trust Names Rising Literary Star Brendan Bowles Winner of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award

The Writers’ Trust's RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers has an enviably accurate track record of picking out CanLit's rising stars. Last night, they honoured Toronto writer Brendan Bowles as the 2016 prize winner for his short story "Wyatt Thurst".

The award offers a $5,000 prize as well as publicity, mentoring, and encouragement to an unpublished author under the age of 35.

Bowles has already amassed an impressive résumé, having previously won The Toronto Star Short Story Award, been shortlisted for the CBC Canada Writes Short Story Prize, and selected by PEN Canada as a nominee for their New Voices Award.

You can read "Wyatt Thurst" via free download from the iBooks Store, along with featured works of past years’ finalists and winners, at http://www.iTunes.com/BronwenWallace.

Alissa York, who won the prize in 1999, hosted the presentation ceremony. The 2016 jurors — Eden Robinson, Johanna Skibsrud, and Michael V. Smith — selected the winner from 131 submissions.

Two additional finalists were honoured with $1,000 prizes for their achievements: Allegra McKenzie for “This Monstrous Heart” and Hannah Rahimi for “With My Scarf Tied Just So.” Each of the nominated writers will receive a mentorship opportunity focused on writing feedback and career development from a senior editorial figure in the Canadian publishing industry.

The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award is funded by the RBC Emerging Artists Project, which invests in up-and-coming artists to help build their professional careers. Past winners and finalists for the prize include Jeramy Dodds, Alison Pick, and Michael Crummey.