Conor Kerr, Kudakwashe Rutendo and Michael Christie to judge 2025 CBC Short Story Prize

Conor Kerr, Kudakwashe Rutendo and Michael Christie will judge the2025CBC Short Story Prize.

TheCBC Short Story Prize recognizesoriginal, unpublished fiction that is up to 2,500 words in length.

The winner will receive $6,000 from theCanada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency atBanff Centre for Arts and Creativityand have their work published onCBC Books.

Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from theCanada Council for the Artsand have their story published onCBC Books.

The 2025CBC Short Story Prizeis open for submissions until Nov. 1, 2024at 4:59 p.m. ET.

• The 2025 CBC Short Story Prize is currently accepting submissions

Conor Kerr is a Mtis/Ukrainian writer who hails from many prairie towns and cities, including Saskatoon. He now lives in Edmonton. A2022 CBC Books writer to watch, his previous works include the poetry collectionOld Godsand the novelAvenue of Champions, whichwaslonglisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize, was afinalist for the 2022 Amazon Canada First Novel Awardandwon the ReLit award the same year.

Kerr currently teaches creative writing at the University of Alberta.

Previously, Kerr wasareader for the 2022 CBC Poetry Prize. He also madethe2021 CBC Poetry Prize longlist.

• Edmonton author Conor Kerr on what it's like to have your debut novel longlisted for the Giller Prize

InPrairie Edge,Isidore"Ezzy"Desjarlais and Grey Ginther live together in Grey's uncle's trailer, passing their time with cribbage and cheap beer. Grey iscynical of what she feels is a lazy and performative activist culture, while Grey is simply devoted to his distant cousin.

So when Greyconcocts a scheme to set a herd of bison loose in downtown Edmonton, Ezzyis along for the ride one that has devastating, fatal consequences.

Prairie Edge is on the shortlist for the 2024 Giller Prize.

LISTEN | Conor Kerrdiscusses his novelPrairie EdgeonThe Next Chapter:

The Next Chapter18:53Bison roam Downtown Edmonton in Prairie Edge

Mtis-Ukrainian author Conor Kerr's latest novel takes inspiration from a real-life news story. In Prairie Edge, two distant Mtis cousins release bison into Edmonton's urban green spaces in an act of reclamation.

KudakwasheRutendois an actor to watch who fell in love with the stage by performing live poetry. Since then she's starred in feature filmsGiving Hope: The Ni'cola Mitchell Storyand, most recently,Backspot,a drama directed by D.W. Waterson and produced by Elliot Page and Page Boy Productions.

• Kudakwashe Rutendo is a rising star uplifting an emerging author on Canada Reads

Rutendo was selected as one of TIFF's 2023 Rising Starsand recently named by Hollywood Reporter as a rising star in the 2024 Women in Canada Entertainment issue. She's not just a film star her theatre credits include roles in theLost Heroes of OroatTheatre by the Bay andViergeatFactory Theatre all whilejuggling her courseworkat the University of Toronto.

• Kudakwashe Rutendo talks about deliberate word choice in Shut Up You're Pretty

Rutendo was one of the Canada Reads 2024 contenders where she championed the linked short story collection Shut Up You're Prettywritten by Ta Mutonji.

Michael Christie has become one of Canada's most acclaimed writers.

His 2011 shortstory collection,TheBeggar's Garden,won the Vancouver Book Award and was a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. His 2015 novel,If I Fall, If I Die,won the Northern Lit Award and was longlisted for theScotiabank Giller Prize.

His novelGreenwoodwon the2020 Arthur Ellis Award (now theCanadian Crime Writing Awards) for best novel, was championed by actor Keegan Connor Tracy onCanada Reads2023 and was alsolonglisted for theScotiabank Giller Prize.

Greenwoodbegins in theyear 2038 when most of the world has suffered from an environmental collapse. Yet, on aremote island with 1,000-year-old trees, Jacinda Greenwood, known as Jake, works as a tour guide for the ultra-rich in one of the world's last remaining old-growth forests.

From there, the novel jumps through time as you learn more about Jake, her family and how secrets and lies can have an impact for generations.

The jury will select the shortlist and winner. Apanel of established writers and editors from across Canadareview the submissions and will determine the longlist from all the submissions. The longlist, shortlist and winner will be announced in spring 2025.

WATCH|Want to become a writer? Here's one tip from Michael Christie:

Want to become a writer? Here's one tip you need to hear

1 year ago

Duration 1:11

Award-winning author Michael Christie was back in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ont., this weekend to deliver a writing workshop and lecture to aspiring writers in the city. Here's the one thing he says every aspiring author should know.

Last year's winner wasVancouver writer Kate Gunn for herstoryOld Bones.

• Vancouver writer Kate Gunn wins 2024 CBC Short Story Prize for story about women's medical trauma

TheCBC Literary Prizeshave been recognizing Canadian writers since 1979.Past winnersincludeDavid Bergen,Michael Ondaatje,Carol ShieldsandMichael Winter.

• 16 famous Canadian writers who won CBC Literary Prizes

Need a little motivation to get you going?Subscribe to the CBC Short Story Prize newsletter.

If you're looking to submit to the Prix de la nouvelle Radio-Canada,you can enter here.

The 2025CBC Nonfiction Prizewill open in January 2025 and the 2025CBC Poetry Prizewill open in April.