Allison Graves, Zilla Jones, Dilan Qadir, Liz Stewart, and Isabella Wang (photos courtesy the Writers’ Trust of Canada)

Five writers have been named to the Writers’ Trust of Canada 2025 Rising Stars cohort.

Under the program, which was launched in 2019, five established authors each select a writer in the early stages of their career to mentor. In addition to the flexible mentorship, the selected writers each receive $5,000 and a two-week, self-directed residency at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts on the Toronto Islands.

The 2025 Rising Stars are:

• Allison Graves, mentored by Michael Crummey;
• Zilla Jones, mentored by Charlotte Gill;
• Dilan Qadir, mentored by Rabindranath Maharaj;
• Liz Stewart, mentored by Casey Plett; and
• Isabella Wang, mentored by Joseph Dandurand.