Writers’ Trust of Canada was founded 50 years ago in 1976 by writers — Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laurence, and David Young — with a goal to make Canada the best place in the world to be a writer. 50 years later, it is Canada’s leading charitable organization that advances, nurtures, and celebrates Canadian writers and writing.
To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Writers’ Trust is launching a series of prize and programming initiatives geared towards the continued support of writers across the country. The recently launched $50,000 Writers’ Trust Board Fellowship recognized poet Anne-Marie Turza for her for exceptional creative ability while the Nancy Flight Prize for Nonfiction Editing recognizes the important role of editorial expertise in the production of good books. The organization’s ongoing video series is a throughline from writers to readers where Canadian authors share the essential experiences, fellow author interactions, and notable work that shaped them.
As 2026 unfolds, follow along as we take bold strides to further assert Canada as one of the best places in the world to be a writer and celebrate the collective love of home — our people, our stories.
As part of the Writers’ Trust’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the organization has launched Conversations in Trust, a national series of conversations in four cities that engages award-winning Canadian writers in a moderated discussion.
Authors will address a polarized world, how to improve discourse, and the role of writing in civil society. The series opens in Vancouver at Olympic Village Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre on April 16, 2026, followed by events in Calgary, Winnipeg and Halifax.
Conversations in Trust is presented with support from PwC Canada, Vancouver Writers Fest, Massy Books, Wordfest, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Plume Winnipeg, AfterWords, Halifax Public Library, and The Globe and Mail, in recognition of the important role writers play in helping us navigate our world.