The Writers’ Trust of Canada administers several Canadian literary awards every year, and today they’ve announced the shortlists for what may be their two most exciting prizes: The Rogers Writers Trust Award, and the Journey Prize for the Best Canadian Short Story of the Year.

The Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize

The Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize recognizes the authors behind the year’s best fiction offerings, in either novel or short story collection form.

Their list includes two books also included on this year’s Giller Prize, so, consistency implies these 2 books are particularly worth your time: Russell Smith’s Confidence, and André Alexis’ Fifteen Dogs.

Here’s the shortlist, click titles to read more about the books:

· André Alexis (Toronto) for FIFTEEN DOGS, Coach House Books.
· Elizabeth Hay (Ottawa) for HIS WHOLE LIFE, McClelland & Stewart.
· Pamela Mordecai (Kitchener) for RED JACKET, TAP Books.
· Russell Smith (Toronto) for CONFIDENCE, Biblioasis.
· John Vaillant (Vancouver) for THE JAGUAR’S CHILDREN, Knopf Canada.

Each of the five finalists will receive $2,500. The prizewinner will receive a total of $25,000. The finalists were chosen by a jury composed of writers Aislinn Hunter, Shani Mootoo, and Richard Wagamese.

The Writers’ Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize:

The annual Journey Prize is awarded to the best short story of the year, published in a Canadian literary journal. There is also an annual Journey Prize Anthology, that binds together all stories from that year’s longlist. This year’s jury was Anthony De Sa, Tanis Rideout, and Carrie Snyder.

Here’s the shortlist, click a story title to read more:

· Emily Bossé (Fredericton) for “LAST ANIMAL STANDING ON GENTLEMAN’S FARM,” The Fiddlehead.
· Deirdre Dore (Nakusp, BC) for “THE WISE BABY,” Geist.
· Anna Ling Kaye (Vancouver) for “RED EGG AND GINGER,” Prairie Fire.

Each of the three finalists will receive $1,000, the prizewinner will receive a total of $10,000, and the journal that originally published the winning entry will receive $2,000.

Both prizes will be presented on November 3 at the Writers’ Trust Awards event in Toronto’s Glenn Gould Studio.