Five books – four of them debut novels – have been shortlisted for the 2026 Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.
The winner of the annual prize recognizing the best short story collection or novel by a Canadian author will receive $70,000, with the finalists each receiving $7,500.
The five shortlisted titles were selected by a jury comprised of writers David Chariandy, Conor Kerr, and Kathleen Winter, who read 118 titles from 62 publishing imprints.
The finalists are:
- Fancy Gap by Zak Jones (Hamish Hamilton Canada/Penguin Random House Canada)
- My Person by Téa Mutonji (Random House Canada)
- Riverwork by Lisa Robertson (Coach House Books)
- Treat Them As Buffalo by Blair Palmer Yoxall (HarperAvenue/HarperCollins Canada)
- Seven Heavens Away by Ashraf Zaghal (House of Anansi Press)
The winner will be announced at the annual Writers’ Trust Awards, taking place in Toronto on Nov. 10.
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