Writers' Trust of Canada - 50 Years
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Rewarding the best Canadian political writing

Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing

Highlights

GuidelinesPrize History

Prize

Winner: $40,000
Finalists: $5,000

Announcement Dates

Shortlist: Mar 18, 2026
Winner: Apr 29, 2026

Questions? Contact:

Devon Jackson, Associate Program Director
djackson@writerstrust.com

Gala Event

Learn more about Politics and the Pen

About the Prize

Established in honour of the outspoken and popular MP from Windsor, Ontario, the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing is awarded annually for an exceptional book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers. Sponsored by CN, the prize is awarded annually at the Politics and the Pen gala in Ottawa. In recognition of its 25th anniversary in 2025, the annual award has been increased from $25,000 to $40,000. Contributions to shortlisted finalists have also increased, from $2,500 to $5,000 to each author.

2026 Winner

Maggie Helwig

Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community

Coach House Books

Jury Citation

“A necessary, on-the-ground view of Canada’s homelessness crisis, Encampment succeeds where much of political handwringing and wishful thinking around housing and poverty consistently fail. Maggie Helwig never lets compassion impede lucidity, and her book avoids both cynicism and battle fatigue. The result: a clear-eyed call to not look away, but to deepen understanding of the issue. As more and more of our neighbours find themselves living unsheltered, this book is essential reading.”—2026 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing Jury (Norma Dunning, Chantal Hébert, Paul Wells)

2026 Finalists

Honouring the 2026 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize Finalists

Jury

A jury composed of Norma Dunning, Chantal Hébert, and Paul Wells read 51 books submitted by 33 publishing imprints.

My affiliation with Writers’ Trust has connected me to a national network of writers and thinkers, and to politicians and policy makers. The generous prize will be used to support the research and writing of my next book.

— Rachel Giese

2018 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing winner

Sponsor

CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the US South through a 18,600-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.