Deadline: June 28, 2022
Applications are invited for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction 2022. The Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction is given annually for excellence in the category of literary nonfiction, which includes essays, history, biography, memoir, commentary, and criticism.
Finalist works will demonstrate a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and technique. The overall effect of such writing should provide the general reader with an informed, unique perspective on the issue at hand. The jurors will shortlist between three and five titles. The prize has been sponsored by The Hon. Hilary M. Weston since 2011 and is funded by the Weston Family Foundation.
Prizes
- A prize of $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022 that, in the opinion of the jury, is the year’s best book of nonfiction.
- Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists.
Eligibility
- Publishers should note that the prize is for literary excellence; they should only submit books they deem outstanding in this regard.
- Titles must be published between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. Titles that are not yet in final published form by the final deadline of June 28, 2022 may be submitted as ARCs or bound galleys.
- Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
- Previous publication in another country does not disqualify a book.
- Translations from other languages into English are eligible and will be considered in the year in which the English translation is published. In the event of a translation winning the prize, the prize money will be divided as follows: $45,000 to the author, $15,000 to the translator.
- To be eligible to submit books for consideration, publishing houses must have a professional editorial process independent from the authors whose books are submitted. They must not charge authors for publishing.
- Imprints must be editorially independent to be permitted to submit books in addition to submissions from their parent company.
- All books must have an ISBN and be available in Canadian bookstores for some duration between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022.
- Titles may be single-authored or co-authored. Multi-authored collections, anthologies, and conference proceedings are not eligible.
- Self-published books are not eligible.
- Ghostwritten books are not eligible.
- No more than 20% of the manuscript can be previously published in book form.
- Books whose author was deceased at the time of publication are not eligible.
Application
The following must be submitted by the final deadline on June 28, 2022:
- Five copies of each eligible title in book form or three bound galleys, with at least two copies of the finished book to be received by the Writers’ Trust promptly upon publication.
- A completed Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction online submission form listing all submitted titles and planned submissions.
- A spreadsheet listing all nonfiction titles published during the prize eligibility period (October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022) with their authors and publication dates.
- Images of the author and book cover suitable for reproduction in print materials. Please name each file “Nonfiction_AuthorLastName_FirstName” and “Nonfiction_AuthorLastName_BookTitle”.
- A PDF copy of each submitted title (attached via the web form). A PDF must be submitted in addition to, not in place of, five book form copies.
For more information, visit Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize.
