WT Amplified Voices is a project that promotes published work of BIPOC or LGBTQ2S+ Canadian authors. The project was originally created to provide visibility to authors and their work during the COVID-19 pandemic when health restrictions prevented publicity opportunities like in-person book launches, literary festivals, and bookstore foot traffic.
The 2023 project promoted winners of the 2023 Writers’ Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize. The award is given annually to emerging writers for a short story or excerpt from a fiction work-in-progress, with all work eventually published in an anthology. The 2023 anthology, Journey Prize Stories, comprises of work from the best emerging Black writers, a decision made to promote the work of a group who has historically been marginalized by systemic inequality, including within the publishing ecosystem.
The 2024 iteration focuses on promoting Canadian authors from the LGBTQ2S+ community. Writers' Trust has sent copies of the 2023 Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers shortlist to booksellers across the country. This booksellers campaign creates increased visibility and engagement for shortlisted authors and their works, puts books into the hands of those most likely to read and appreciate them, and spotlights the incredible work done by booksellers in their communities.
The WT Amplified Voices program is made possible in part by the Government of Canada. The Journey Prize is supported by James A. Michener’s donation of his Canadian royalty earnings from his novel Journey. We thank all booksellers for partnering with us to promote the important work of our 2023 Dayne Ogilvie Prize shortlisted authors.
