Programs & Services: Alberta Literary Awards

2013 ALBERTA LITERARY AWARDS ANNOUNCED:

The Writers Guild of Alberta (WGA) is thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2013 Alberta Literary Awards! The Alberta Literary Awards recognize and celebrate the highest standards of literary excellence from Alberta authors.

Awards jurors have deliberated 203 submissions to select 27 finalists in nine categories. Finalists represent extraordinary literary work written by Alberta authors and published in 2012.

Winners will be announced and awards presented at the Alberta Book Awards Gala on Saturday May 25, 2013 in conjunction with the Book Publishers Association of Alberta’s (BPAA) Alberta Book Publishing Awards and the Edmonton Public Library's 2013 Alberta Readers' Choice Award.  The celebration will take place at the Delta Edmonton Centre Suite Hotel (10222 - 102 Street) in Edmonton alongside the 2013 Words in 3 Dimensions Conference.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2013 ALBERTA LITERARY AWARDS SHORTLIST

The Writers Guild of Alberta is the largest provincial writers’ organization in Canada, and was formed in 1980 to provide a meeting ground and collective voice for the writers of the province. Its mission is to inspire, connect, support, encourage and promote writers and writing, to safeguard the freedom to write and to read, and to advocate for the well-being of writers.

Registration for the Awards Gala and Conference are now open. For more information or to register, please call 1-800-665-5354 or visit www.wordsin3d.com.

Awards Background

The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the Writers Guild of Alberta in 1982 to recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors. Entries are judged by an independent jury recruited by the WGA. Submissions are evaluated on originality, creativity, and quality of writing, as well as appropriate fit within a category.

Prizes of $1500 are awarded in the following categories:

• R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature (picture books)
• Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction
• Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Non-Fiction
• Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Drama (plays published or produced)
• Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry 

Prizes of $700 are awarded in the following categories:

• Amber Bowerman Memorial Travel Writing Award (unpublished only)
• James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction (published pieces)
• Howard O'Hagan Award for Short Story (published only)
• Jon Whyte Memorial Essay Prize (unpublished pieces)

 The WGA is also administering the following awards for 2013:

• The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize ($5000 prize)
• The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize ($10,000 prize) 

Deadline: December 31, 2012

2013 Submission Guidelines

Past finalists and winners of the Alberta Literary Awards

History of the Alberta Literary Awards

2012 Alberta Literary Awards Sponsors and Supporters
The Writers Guild of Alberta gratefully acknowledges the following supporters our 2012 Awards:

If you are interested in becoming an award sponsor, gala sponsor, or donor for 2012, please contact Nicholas Mather

	Alberta Views		The Banff Centre

Donors:

Ann Campbell
Stephan V. Benediktson
Vanna Tessier and Guy Tessier

MORE AWARDS

The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize
The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize is awarded in honour of acclaimed Calgary writer W.O. Mitchell. The prize was established in 1996 and is administered by the Writers Guild of Alberta . The $5000 prize is awarded annually for an outstanding book of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, children’s literature or drama published in the preceding year. Submission deadline is December 31, 2012.

2013 Submission guidelines and entry information.

The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize Past Finalists

The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize (Now $10,000)
The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize was established by the City Council in 1995 and is administered by the Writers Guild of Alberta.  The award was recently renamed to honour Robert Kroetsch, who died in a tragic car accident in 2011. Entries must deal with some aspect of the city of Edmonton : history, geography, current affairs, its arts or its people or be written by an Edmonton author. Entries may be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or drama written for adults or children, published in the preceding year. The winning author will receive a prize of $10,000. The prize is sponsored by Audreys Books and the Edmonton Arts Council. Submission deadline is December 31, 2012.

2013 Submission guidelines and entry information.

The City of Edmonton Book Prize Past Finalists

Alberta Screenwriters Initiative
The Alberta Screenwriters Initiative calls for submissions of feature film scripts of any genre from an Alberta writer. An independent jury selects one script/screenplay to receive a workshop with an experienced story editor or screenwriter. The Writers Guild of Alberta administers the initiative on behalf of the Alberta Association of Motion Picture and Television Unions (AAMPTU). The initiative recognizes the importance of story in the creation of filmed entertainment and the necessity to actively encourage and develop the voices of Alberta writers in film and television.
Submission Deadline: March 11, 2013

2013 Submission guidelines and entry information

2012 Winners

Past Winners of the Alberta Screenwriters Initiative

Isabel Miller Young Writers Award
The Isabel Miller Young Writers Award, for writers aged 12-18 years, is co-presented by the Writers Guild of Alberta and the Edmonton Public Library.  It was established in memory of Isabel Miller, a school teacher and writer who was active in Celebration of Women in the Arts, the Stroll of Poets, and the Writers Guild of Alberta. Prizes totalling $600 are awarded. Selected entries will also be published in a special chapbook. Submission deadline is June 15, 2010

Submissions are now closed. Stay tuned for future updates.

Information on 2010 Isabel Miller Young Writers Award