Writers' Trust Honours Eight Canadian Books

The Writers' Trust of Canada presented eight literary awards and more than $400,000 in prize money at its annual ceremony.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Books

Graphic poster-style illustration of stacked cream-spined hardcover books in deep teal and hot orange with halftone dot texture. — The Writers' Trust of Canada presented eight literary prizes totaling more than $400,000 at its annual ceremony in Toronto on Tuesday. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Writers' Trust of Canada handed out eight literary prizes and over $400,000 in total prize money at its annual awards ceremony. Téa Mutonji and Zak Jones were shortlisted for the $70,000 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.

Why it matters

The awards recognize Canadian fiction and non-fiction, including an outstanding debut by an LGBTQ+ emerging writer and a new non-fiction editing award. Shortlisting for a major national prize can raise the profile of emerging authors.

The Writers' Trust of Canada distributed more than $400,000 across eight awards, with the Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize carrying $70,000. The extraction does not identify the winners of each category.

The players

Writers' Trust of Canada

A Toronto-based charity that supports Canadian writers through grants, mentorship and literary prizes, and which presents the annual awards.

Téa Mutonji

A Canadian writer shortlisted for the Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize for her first novel, My Person.

Zak Jones

A Canadian writer shortlisted for the Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize for his debut novel, Fancy Gap.

Moez Surani

A Canadian broadcaster who hosted the Writers' Trust awards ceremony.

The details

Téa Mutonji is shortlisted for her first novel My Person, and Zak Jones for his debut novel Fancy Gap, which is set in Appalachia. The ceremony was held at CBC's Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto and hosted by Moez Surani.

November 10, 2026: Writers' Trust of Canada annual awards ceremony held in Toronto.

Big Picture

The 2026 ceremony continues the annual cycle of the Writers' Trust of Canada's literary awards, which recognize Canadian fiction and non-fiction each year. Its eight prizes this year include a new non-fiction editing award added to the program.

Readers interested in the shortlisted novels can look for My Person and Fancy Gap in bookstores and libraries. The extraction does not state release formats or prices for the books themselves.