Writers' Trust announces Shortlist for 30th Anniversary Journey Prize

The Writers' Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize is one of the most unique literary prizes in Canada, drawing on submissions from journals and magazines to discover the best short story published in the country that year. The $10,000 prize is awarded annually to an emerging writer. 

The prize is significant not only because of its unique model (which includes a purse funded by the donated royalties from James A. Michener’s Journey), but because it serves as a sort of CanLit forecast: the nominees and winners of the prize have an uncanny tendency to go on to become the most decorated and beloved writers in Canada, including Yann Martel, Heather O'Neill, and Alissa York. 

The Writers' Trust has now announced the three nominees for the 2018 prize, and by extension, three writers for book lovers in Canada to watch with excitement. 

A jury composed of writers Sharon Bala, Kerry Clare, and Zoey Leigh Peterson selected the shortlist for this, the 30th anniversary of the prize.

The shortlist for the 2018 Writers' Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize:

• Shashi Bhat ​for “Mute,​”​ published in ​The Dalhousie Review
• Greg Brown ​for “Love,” ​published in ​Pulp Literature
• Liz Harmer​ for “Never Prosper,”​ published in The New Quarterly

The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, as part of the Writers' Trust Awards event, which will include the presentation of over $260,000 in total prize money. 

Visit the Writers' Trust website for more information and complete biographies of the finalists.