The Journey Prize Stories 18

Discover the intriguing and diverse voices of Canada’s new literary writers in this popular and nationally acclaimed annual anthology

"There’s nothing else like it in Canada. . . . The Journey Prize anthology has become the proving ground for new, young Canadian writers, a who’s who of the coming generation. . . . I, for one, owe everything to the Journey Prize." – Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi

The $10,000 Journey Prize, now known as The Writers’ Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize, is awarded annually to a new and developing writer of distinction for a short story published in a Canadian literary publication. This award is made possible by James A. Michener’s generous donation of his Canadian royalties earnings from his novel Journey, published by McClelland & Stewart in 1988. The Journey Prize itself is the most significant monetary award given in Canada to a writer at the beginning of his or her career for a short story or excerpt from a fiction work-in-progress.

The winner of the Journey Prize is selected from among the stories that appear in the current volume of The Journey Prize Stories, published annually in the fall by McClelland & Stewart.

For over a decade The Journey Prize Stories has established itself as one of the most prestigious anthologies in the country, introducing readers to the best new Canadian writers from coast to coast. It has become a who’s who of up-and-coming writers, and many of the authors whose early work has appeared in the anthology have gone on to distinguish themselves with acclaimed collections of stories or novels, and have won many of Canada’s most prestigious literary awards, including the Governor General’s Award, the Trillium Award, the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and The Giller Prize.

The anthology sets itself apart from others in that it comprises a selection of stories that editors of literary publications from across the country have chosen as what, in their view, is the most exciting writing in English that they have published in the previous year. In recognition of the vital role literary publications play in discovering and promoting new writers, McClelland & Stewart gives its own award of $2,000 to the literary publication that originally published and submitted the winning entry.

McClelland & Stewart acknowledges the continuing enthusiastic support of writers, literary publication editors, and the public in the common celebration of the emergence of new voices in Canadian fiction.

In this anthology:
Heather Birrell, “BriannaSusannaAlana” (The New Quarterly) (Winner)
Craig Boyko, “The Baby” (from Descant)
Craig Boyko, “The Beloved Departed” (Grain Magazine)
Nadia Bozak, “Heavy Metal Housekeeping” (subTerrain Magazine)
Lee Henderson, “Conjugation” (Border Crossings)
Melanie Little, “Wrestling” (PRISM international)
Matthew Rader, “The Lonesome Death of Joseph Fey” (Grain Magazine)
Scott Randall, “Law School” (The Dalhousie Review)
Sarah Selecky, “Throwing Cotton” (Prairie Fire)
Damian Tarnopolsky, “Sleepy” (Exile)
Martin West, “Cretacea” (PRISM international)
David Whitton, “The Eclipse” (Taddle Creek)
Clea Young, “Split” (The Malahat Review)