Five writers, Rachel Foster, Laura MacGregor, Jennifer McGuire, Lena Palacios, and Crystal Semaganis, have been shortlisted for the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize. Their nominated works include “Summer Ash” by Rachel Foster, “The Invisible Woman” by Laura MacGregor, “The First Apartment” by Jennifer McGuire, “Cancer Stage Exit 4: A Memoir” by Lena Palacios, and “In Case I Die” by Crystal Semaganis. The winner will be announced on September 25, with a grand prize of $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
The remaining finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts. All five finalists had their works published on CBC Books. The selection process involved a reading committee screening over 1,300 submissions, leading to the shortlist announcement. The finalists were chosen by a jury comprising Zoe Whittall, Danny Ramadan, and Helen Knott, who will also select the winner based on language usage, originality, and writing style.
The French-language competition shortlist has also been unveiled, and last year’s winner was Aldona Dziedziejko for her essay “Ice Safety Chart: Fragments.” For more information on upcoming literary prizes and submissions, visit the CBC Literary Prizes website. Get to know the English-language finalists for the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize below.
