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About the Award

The Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award is given to a mid-career writer in recognition of a remarkable body of work, and in anticipation of future contributions to Canadian literature. All Canadian writers are eligible. The winner, selected by a three-member, independent judging panel, is announced annually at the Writers’ Trust Awards. The award is sponsored by the Writers’ Trust Prize Fund and the Estate of Timothy Findley. 

2024 Winner

Madeleine
Thien

Jury Citation

“Madeleine Thien’s acclaimed body of work is nothing short of masterful. Seamlessly blending history and imagination, Thien’s narratives span generations, vast distances, and richly drawn casts of characters. Whether navigating the most intimate moments of love and loss or the dramatic stages of war and political oppression, Thien’s prose brims with sensitivity and compassion, illuminating vivid imagery and sparking insights that continue to resonate long after reading. It’s clear that Thien treats every sentence with the utmost care; the apparent ease with which her writing moves is a striking testament to her extraordinary command of the literary craft. We are in awe of the humanity and generosity that anchors all of her writing thus far, and we are eager to see what she gifts readers next.” —2024 Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award jury (Wayne Arthurson, Corinna Chong, and Phil Halton)

Author Page
“It’s incredible to be told, when it feels like you’re bumping along in the middle of nowhere, that you’re on the right path. It feels like a big, beautiful lifeline.”

– Billie Livingston


2017 Engel Findley Award winner

Sponsor

The Estate of Timothy Findley and the Writers' Trust Prize Fund.