UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 

  Quality education

  Our keystone program is the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. In addition to the Prize, the Carol Shields Prize Foundation promotes women and non-binary writers through a number of initiatives and grants to support marginalized, underrepresented and emerging writers in the U.S. and Canada. Our partnerships include mentorships, residencies, workshops and scholarships for emerging BIPOC women writers at prestigious institutions such as the University of Toronto, Diaspora Dialogues, the Banff Centre for the Arts, the American Institute of Indian Studies, and Tin House Summer Writing Workshop, to name a few. During residencies, writers will also offer public talks and readings to advance the public's appreciation and the participation of women in the literary arts. Between the annual literary award and the charitable initiatives, the Carol Shields Prize Foundation will acknowledge, celebrate and promote fiction by a wider, more diverse and inclusive group of women and non-binary writers, thus ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education opportunities for writers, as well as lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• 

  Gender equality

  We offer the largest literary prize in the world for women and non-binary writers: 150,000 USD to the winner and 12,500 USD to 4 finalists. This addresses one of the key barriers facing women and non-binary writers today: financial compensation. It is well documented that women writers earn less than their male counterparts. In addition to the Prize, the organization itself supports women and non-binary writers through a range of mentorships, scholarships and residencies across Canada and the US. We recognize that both women and gender-diverse folk face significant barriers to publishing and literary success, and we are working to raise awareness of this ongoing bias and to share a simple message: Read women and non-binary writers!