Submissions are now open for the Manitoba Book Awards/Les Prix du livre du Manitoba! November 23, 2018 is this year’s submission deadline (post-marked). Guidelines can be found at www.manitobabookawards.com
All entries must be submitted through our new online entry form.
The event celebrates local talent and diverse books! Many of the book award categories are bilingual (open to both French and English book entries).
NEW THIS YEAR: The structure of the Manitoba Book Awards/Les Prix du livre du Manitoba is changing. The Manitoba Writers’ Guild, the founding organization and project organizer has invited the Winnipeg Public Library and the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, along with long-time project supporter the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers, to create a new working group to help deliver the 2019 awards celebration and to develop a long-term strategic plan for the book awards. The awards are an important annual event for writers, publishers, book sellers, and readers, and a strong community base will ensure their viability.
AWARD CHANGES: Some awards are transitioning from annual to biennial prizes. This will provide a meaningful and competitive shortlist for awards with traditionally fewer entries, and help build long-term capacity. The McNally Robinson Book for Young People Awards will now be alternating older and younger categories, with the older category to be presented in 2019 and the younger category presented in 2020. The John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer/ Prix John-Hirsch pour l’écrivain manitobain le plus prometteur (The Manitoba Foundation for the Arts) and Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/Prix Lansdowne de poésie (The Winnipeg Foundation) are also moving to biennial prizes and will next be presented in 2020 (for books published in 2018 and 2019).
To be presented in 2019:
- McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award, English
- McNally Robinson Book for Young People Awards: Older category, English
- Le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault (established as biennial, for books published in 2017 and 2018) (Province of Manitoba, Department of Sport, Culture and Heritage), Français
- Chris Johnson Award for Best Manitoba Playwright/Prix Chris-Johnson pour la meilleure pièce par un dramaturge manitobain (established as biennial for plays published or produced in 2017 and 2018) (Manitoba Association of Playwrights), English/Français
- Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction/Prix Alexander-Kennedy-Isbister pour les études et essais (Province of Manitoba, Department of Sport, Culture and Heritage), English/Français
- Beatrice Mosionier Indigenous Writer of the Year Award/ Prix Beatrice-Mosionier pour l’écrivaine autochtone de l’année (The Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture at the University of Manitoba), English/Français/Indigenous Languages)
- Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award/Prix littéraire Carol-Shields de la ville de Winnipeg (The Winnipeg Arts Council with funding from the City of Winnipeg), English/Français
- Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book by a Manitoba author (The Winnipeg Foundation), English
- Manuela Dias Design and Illustration awards/Prix Manuela-Dias de conception graphique et d’illustration en édition (no cash prize), English/Français/Indigenous Languages
- Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction (Province of Manitoba, Department of Sport, Culture and Heritage), English
- Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher/Prix Mary-Scorer pour le meilleur livre par un éditeur du Manitoba (sponsored by Friesens), English/Français
Biennial awards to be presented next in 2020:
- McNally Robinson Book for Young People Awards: Younger Category, English
- John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer/Prix John-Hirsch pour l’écrivain manitobain le plus prometteur (The Manitoba Foundation for the Arts) English/Français
- Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/Prix Lansdowne de poésie (The Winnipeg Foundation) English/Français
- Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction (sponsored by Prairie Fire Press and the Winnipeg International Writers Festival) English
FEE CHANGE: Please note that entry fees have increased from $25 to $30 per entry. This increase will help assist with administration costs.
NEW DESTINATION:
Books will now be sent to:
The Manitoba Book Awards
Millennium Library, attention Kathleen Williams
251 Donald St. Winnipeg, MB R3C 3P5
All entries must be made through the online form by November 23, 2018. Books published between January 1 and October 31 must be sent and postmarked by November 23, 2018. Books published between November 1 and December 31 must be postmarked by January 11, 2019, and will only be accepted if the online entry from was submitted by November 23, 2018.
The Manitoba Book Awards thanks founding sponsor McNally Robinson Booksellers for its continued support, along with all of our generous sponsors.
SPONSORS:
- Canada Council for the Arts
- The Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture at the University of Manitoba
- Friesens Corporation
- Manitoba Arts Council
- Manitoba Association of Playwrights
- Manitoba Foundation for the Arts
- McNally Robinson Booksellers
- Prairie Fire Press
- Province of Manitoba, Department of Sport, Culture and Heritage
- University of Manitoba: Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture
- Winnipeg Arts Council, with funding from the City of Winnipeg
- The Winnipeg Foundation
For more information about submissions please contact:
Manitoba Book Awards working committee: the Manitoba Writers’ Guild, the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, the Winnipeg Public Library and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers.
Susan Rocan, Chair of Manitoba Writers’ Guild
(204) 944-8013
