Manitoba Book Awards return
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After a two-year hiatus, the Manitoba Book Awards are returning for 2026, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.
Founded in 1988, the awards were presented annually until 2024, when a feasibility study recommended the Manitoba Book Awards, and the governing coalition — made up of Plume Winnipeg, the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers, the Winnipeg Public Library and the Manitoba Writers’ Guild — be dissolved.
In an April 9 news release, it was announced the 2026 Manitoba Book Awards, now run by an independent board of arts workers and writers, would be presented Sept. 19 at the Park Theatre after the short lists are revealed in August.
Six awards in total will be presented, including the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award and the Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault for francophone literature, as well as prizes for fiction, non-fiction, poetry and best first book. Three of the awards are being funded by the Manitoba government.
“The Manitoba Book Awards have always been an important piece of the literary landscape in this province,” board president and author David A. Robertson said in the press release. “They offer not only an opportunity for the public to celebrate the rich talent here at home, but to support and promote local creators. We are excited to revive the book awards and to ensure they are sustainable and supportive for years to come.”
The awards website is now live at manitobabookawards.ca.
— staff