A total of 30 writers from different parts of Canada have been selected for the longlist of the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize from a pool of nearly 3,000 entries. The list includes diverse stories such as “YSL Classes” by Oluwatoke Adejoye, “Things I Know for Sure” by Katrina Agbayani, and “Pattern Recognition” by Amber Allen.
The selection process involves two rounds of review by committees comprising qualified editors and writers. The initial screening committee narrows down the entries to about 100, which are then evaluated by a second committee to determine the final longlist of 30 submissions. These entries are judged based on language use, subject originality, and writing style.
The shortlist and eventual winner will be chosen by a jury consisting of Maria Reva, Terry Fallis, and Tracey Lindberg. The shortlist announcement is scheduled for April 30, while the winner will be revealed on May 7. The winner of the CBC Short Story Prize will receive a $6,000 prize from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and publication on CBC Books.
In addition to the main prize, four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their works published on CBC Books. Last year’s winner was Dorian McNamara for the story “You (Streetcar at Night).”
The French-language competition also unveiled its longlist, and more information can be found on the Prix de la nouvelle Radio-Canada website. For those interested in the CBC Literary Prizes, submissions for the 2026 CBC Poetry Prize are open until June 1. The 2027 CBC Short Story Prize will open in September, followed by the 2027 CBC Nonfiction Prize in January.