A prize of $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book that in the opinion of the judges is the year’s best book of nonfiction. The judges will shortlist between three and five titles. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists
Literary nonfiction includes, among other forms, works of personal or journalistic essays, memoirs, commentary, and criticism, both social and political; history, and biography. 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 prize is for literary excellence, and the jury should only select books they deem outstanding in this regard. The jury is free to interpret the definition of literary nonfiction as they see fit and finalist works are not required to encapsulate every aspect of this definition.
Eligibility Criteria
* Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. 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, it will be divided as follows: $45,000 to the author, $15,000 to the translator.)
* Titles must be published in Canada between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011. Books that are not yet in final published form by the final deadline of August 10, 2011 may be submitted in page-proof form.
* All books must have an ISBN number and be available in Canadian bookstores.
* 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 have previously been published in book form.
* Books whose author was deceased at the time of publication are not eligible.
* Publishers should note that the prize is for literary excellence; they should only submit books they deem outstanding in this regard.
Number of Submissions
All Canadian-based publishers of original manuscripts may enter two books; companies publishing more than ten eligible non-fiction titles may add one book for every additional ten eligible books (or fraction thereof) on their nonfiction list, up to a maximum of five.
For example, a publisher with a list of 22 qualifying nonfiction books would be entitled to submit four—two for the first ten, one for the next ten, and one for the final two books.
Nomination Process
The schedule for entering finished books (or bound galleys) is tied to their publication dates as follows:
* Deadline 1: Books published between October 1, 2010 and April 12, 2011 must be received on or before April 13, 2011.
* Deadline 2: Books published between April 14, 2011 and June 14, 2011 must be received on or before June 15, 2011.
* Deadline 3: Books published between June 15, 2011 and September 30, 2011 must be received on or before the final deadline of August 10, 2011.
Publishers are strongly encouraged to submit books prior to the deadlines. Submissions upon release of titles are appreciated.
If a publisher, for any reason whatsoever, feels they cannot submit titles in accordance with the above schedule it is requested that they contact the Program Coordinator directly to discuss alternate arrangements. Publishers of books not yet published by the final deadline and not yet available in galley form will need to contact the Program Coordinator about a possible extension.
Required Materials
The following material must be submitted by August 10, 2011 to:
Writers’ Trust Hilary Weston Prize
The Writers’ Trust of Canada
200 - 90 Richmond Street East
Toronto, ON M5C 1P1
* Five copies of each eligible title in book form; or three bound galley proofs, with at least two copies of the finished book to be received by the Writers’ Trust by the end of the calendar year.
* Submitted titles must be listed on a publisher’s Writers’ Trust Awards 2011 Prize Entry Form(to request a form please email info@writerstrust.com).
* Electronic images of the author and book cover suitable for reproduction in print materials. Forward images to ahopkins@writerstrust.com.
* Publishers submitting more than two titles must on or before August 10, 2011 submit a list of all titles published during the calendar year on which that publisher’s eligibility is based. This list should include authors, titles, and dates of publication.
Jury Composition
A three-person jury selects the winner and finalists of the Writers’ Trust Hilary Weston Prize. The jury acts independently of the Writers’ Trust and is charged with interpreting the mandate and eligibility criteria of the prize, as well as determining which of the submissions best reflect the prize mandate. In evaluating the writing, literary merit is the sole criteria. Each juror may request an unlimited number of additional titles from the publisher’s lists. Such titles are on equal footing with all other submissions, provided that their publishers agree to abide by the conditions laid out in this document. The judgment of the jury in selecting the winners, determining eligibility, and interpreting these rules is final.
Announcement of Nominees & Winners
The list of finalist authors will be announced in September 2011. The award will be presented on November 2011 in Toronto. If an author is a finalist the publisher will agree to:
* Supply the Writers’ Trust with fifteen additional copies of the short-listed book for publicity.
* Affix stickers provided by the Writers’ Trust to finalist books and the winning book.
* Participate in promotion and publicity efforts undertaken by the Writers’ Trust and stress the importance of this with their authors.
Contact Information:
For inquiries: info@writerstrust.com
For submissions: Writers’ Trust Hilary Weston Prize, The Writers’ Trust of Canada, 200 - 90 Richmond Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1P1
Website: http://www.writerstrust.com
