Posted: Feb 17, 2021 4:37 PM ET | Last Updated: February 17
Artist Stephanie Comilang, winner of the 2019 Sobey Art Award, sits among her art at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Organizers for the $100,000 prize announced that they will no longer require nominees to be under the age of 40.(Leroy Schulz)
Writers’ Trust launches $60,000 prize for public-policy writing
The Writers’ Trust of Canada has launched a new $60,000 prize for public-policy writing as part of tech entrepreneur Jim Balsillie’s $3 million commitment to the non-profit. The prize and the endowment were announced by the Writers’ Trust today. The Balsillie Prize for Public Policy is now open for submissions, with finalists to be chosen by a jury of writers and experts.
According to an announcement made by the Writers’ Trust, The Balsillie Prize will be awarded to “a nonfiction book that advances and influences policy debates on social, political, economic, and/or cultural topics relevant to Canadians.” While Balsillie was not available to comment, he said in a statement, “My hope is that we can spur the commissioning of books that engage the general public and have potential to influence the work of the country’s top policymakers.”
Writers Trust unveils $60K Balsillie Prize for Public Policy
by The Canadian Press
Last Updated Feb 17, 2021 at 8:14 am EDT
Smartphone pioneer Jim Balsillie is backing a $60,000 prize to recognize books that advance Canada’s public policy debate.
The Writers’ Trust of Canada announced the creation of the Balsillie Prize for Public Policy on Wednesday as part of a $3-million commitment by the former BlackBerry chief executive.
Organizers say the award, which is being billed as the country’s richest for public policy reads, will be handed out annually to a title shaping the discourse about relevant social, political, economic or cultural questions.