Victoria writer and pianist Erin Frances Fisher is this year’s recipient of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. The award, administered by the Writers’ Trust of Canada with the support of the RBC Emerging Artists Project, is given to up-and-coming writers under the age of 35 who are unpublished in book form, with the prize alternating each year between poetry and short fiction.

Fisher, a 31-year-old faculty member at the Victoria Conservatory of Music who holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Victoria, received the $5,000 prize for her short story, “Girl,” which was selected as the winner, out of 133 contenders, by jurors Michelle Berry, Diane Schoemperlen, and Tanis Rideout. In a press release announcing the win, the jurors wrote:

“A visceral tale guaranteed to make you shiver, ‘Girl’ reminds us of the truth that humans are more than blood and bone. With a surprising and perfect ending, flawless sentences throughout, and a consistently realistic tone, this short story is as vast and satisfying as a great novel.”

A previous winner of PRISM International’s fiction contest and The Malahat Review’s Open Season Award, Fisher’s writing has appeared in Riddle Fence, Little Fiction, and Granta.

The other two finalists for this year’s award were 28-year-old Leah Jane Esau of Montreal, for “Dream Interpretation,” and 30-year-old Torontonian Jakub Stachurski, for “Screen Capture.” In addition to $1,000, the finalists will receive a year of mentoring from members of the jury.

The winning and nominated stories can be downloaded for free from iBooks at iTunes.com/BronwenWallace.