A total of 30 writers from various parts of Canada have been selected for the longlist of the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize, out of almost 3,000 entries. The selection includes works such as “YSL Classes” by Oluwatoke Adejoye, “Things I Know for Sure” by Katrina Agbayani, and “Pattern Recognition” by Amber Allen. The submissions undergo a rigorous evaluation process by two different reading committees before the final selections are made.
Each submission is reviewed for its language usage, originality of content, and writing style, with all works judged anonymously. The longlisted entries will be further assessed by a jury composed of Maria Reva, Terry Fallis, and Tracey Lindberg, who will determine the shortlist and eventual winner. The winner of the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize will be awarded $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and publication on CBC Books.
In addition to the winner, four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their works showcased on CBC Books. Last year’s winner, Dorian McNamara, was recognized for the story “You (Streetcar at Night).” The French-language competition also revealed its longlist, while submissions for the 2026 CBC Poetry Prize are currently being accepted. For those interested in participating in the CBC Literary Prizes, the 2026 CBC Poetry Prize is open until June 1, with the 2027 CBC Short Story Prize and CBC Nonfiction Prize following later in the year.
