Writers'GuildAlberta

The 2026 Writers' Guild of Alberta Literary Awards Submissions are now open! Writers from across Alberta and their publishers are invited to check out and submit to this year’s award categories. The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2025. writersguild.ca/2025-alberta-l…

The WGA offices will be CLOSED from Friday, April 3 to Monday, April 6, 2026. We will return to office on April 7, 2026. Office Hours are by appointment only. Please email mail@writersguild.ab.ca if you require any assistance and we will get back to you upon return.

Next week the finalists of the City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize will be reading at Shelf Life Books. Wednesday, April 8, 2026 7:00 PM MT Shelf Life Books Calgary Listen in to Marcello Di Cinto, Skylar Kay, and Monica Kidd! Presented by the City of Calgary and the WGA.

We will also be hosting public readings to hear from our finalists — April 8, 2026 for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and April 18, 2026 for finalists in Calgary, and May 3, 2026 in Edmonton. The winners of the 9th Kemosa Scholarship will also have a chance to share their work.

The rest of the winners will be announced at the Awards Gala Dinner on June 5, 2026. The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the WGA in 1982 to recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors. Entries are judged by an independent jury recruited by the WGA.

The Writers' Guild of Alberta is pleased to announce the winner of the 2026 Golden Pen Award, supported by Aritha van Herk. This year we are proud to award the Golden Pen to Caterina Edwards. Read about all the finalists here: writersguild.ca/2026-alberta-l…

We will also be hosting public readings to hear from our finalists — April 8, 2026 for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and April 18, 2026 for finalists in Calgary, and May 3, 2026 in Edmonton. The winners of the 9th Kemosa Scholarship will also have a chance to share their work.

The winners will be announced at our Awards Gala Dinner on June 5, 2026. The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the WGA in 1982 to recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors. Entries are judged by an independent jury recruited by the WGA.

The WGA's finalists of the 2026 Jon Whyte Memorial Essay Award, supported by the Haynes Family in Memory of Dr. Sterling Haynes & Melissa Haynes "Two Stupid Idiots" — Ali Bryan "A Bigger Animal" — Aldona Dziedziejko "Furniture Broken by Boys" — Leslie Greentree

We will also be hosting public readings to hear from our finalists — April 8, 2026 for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and April 18, 2026 for finalists in Calgary, and May 3, 2026 in Edmonton. The winners of the 9th Kemosa Scholarship will also have a chance to share their work.

The winners will be announced at our Awards Gala Dinner on June 5, 2026. The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the WGA in 1982 to recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors. Entries are judged by an independent jury recruited by the WGA.

The Writers' Guild of Alberta is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2026 Howard O’Hagan Award for Short Story, sponsored by Alexandra Writers' Centre Society "Walking Jello" — Barb Howard "Buckshot" — Katherine Koller "Redbird" — Stephanie Tamagi

The WGA is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2026 James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction, supported by Marilyn and Bob Stallworthy "Luminaries Eat Kale" — Patti Edgar "Owning Bones" — Jannie Edwards "If I Tell Him" — Rachelle Pinnow Read more: writersguild.ca/2026-alberta-l…

Read about all the finalists here: writersguild.ca/2026-alberta-l…

We will also be hosting public readings to hear from our finalists — April 8, 2026 for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and April 18, 2026 for finalists in Calgary, and May 3, 2026 in Edmonton. The winners of the 9th Kemosa Scholarship will also have a chance to share their work.

The Writers' Guild of Alberta is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2026 Short Story Collection Award, sponsored by Lori Hahnel An Astonishment of Stars — Kirti Bhadresa Graveyard Shift at the Lemonade Stand — Tim Bowling Beauty and the Hell of It — Lynda Williams

Read about all the finalists here: writersguild.ca/2026-alberta-l…

The winners will be announced at our Awards Gala Dinner on June 5, 2026. The Alberta Literary Awards were created by the WGA in 1982 to recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors. Entries are judged by an independent jury recruited by the WGA.

The Writers' Guild of Alberta is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2026 Memoir Award, sponsored by Vivian Hansen and Jessica Waite The Many Names of Robert Cree — Robert Cree with Therese Greenwood Food for the Journey — Elizabeth Haynes