What writer does not dream of the gift of time to write? Wrap up that gift in a $50,000 cheque and you are beginning to understand one of the motives behind The Prairie Grindstone Prize.

Conceived, developed and funded by an anonymous donor committee all of whom love Canadian literature and have a fondness for the talent of prairie writers. This annual prize was awarded in 2023 to an Alberta writer, and this year will be given to a Saskatchewan writer. The award will alternate between the two prairie provinces in the years ahead.

The Prairie Grindstone Prize recognizes active writers with the hope that a year of freedom from financial constraints will be beneficial to their career.

This prize is not a book prize. It is a writing prize for an engaged prairie writer, given in recognition of a body of work.

What defines an engaged prairie writer? For the determination of this prize, it is a writer of tremendous range and depth, who has traditionally published at least four books of fiction, poetry and/or nonfiction, who has built a strong reputation and presence within the literary community, and who shows promise to continue publishing high quality work for years to come. They must also have lived in the province of nomination for at least five years.

And though this is indeed a prairie prize in that it hopes to elevate prairie writers while cultivating appreciation for, and understanding of the Western Canadian landscape, people, history and culture, the writer’s work is not limited to the celebration of wide open skies, bleakly oppressive winter landscapes or the land and its people over the years. We recognize that Prairie writers have many different stories to tell.

The winning writer will receive a $50,000 gift of time, and an opportunity to share past work with a wider audience, while making connections with new readers. We also hope The Prairie Grindstone Prize can be a catalyst for future work, a boost of encouragement, and a sincere thank you for shaping more layered and richer Canadian literature.