Prairie Grindstone Prize nominations open for Saskatchewan writers

By Your Southwest Media Group

Established authors have until May 15 to be nominated for the $50,000 Prairie Grindstone Prize.

The award recognizes a “hardworking, engaged prairie writer” and is open to authors who have lived in Saskatchewan for at least the past five years, according to a statement. Funded by an anonymous donor committee, the prize alternates annually between Alberta and Saskatchewan recipients.

It honours writers of fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction and is intended to give the winner time to focus on their work for a year or more. Eligible authors must have written at least four professionally published books and be active in the local writing community.

The prize is awarded in recognition of an author’s body of work and their contribution to public appreciation and understanding of Western Canada’s landscape, people, history and culture.

Saskatoon poet Sylvia Legris received the 2024 award. She previously won the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2006 and is using the funding to work on her collection-in-progress, Sleep Gate.

“To be recognized not only for one book, but for a body of work and for the role each of the writers has played in the larger literary community has been mighty,” said jury chair Lisa Murphy Lamb of Calgary.

During the award year, representatives will check in with the recipient twice — midway through and near the end — to ask about their progress.

Authors cannot nominate themselves. A jury of peers will select the winner. Full nomination guidelines are available at www.prairiegrindstoneprize.ca/nominate.