Manitoba Book Awards back for 2026

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 press 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 (698 Osborne St.) after the short lists are revealed in August. Six awards in total will be presented including the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award, the Prix Littéraire rue-Deschambault for francophone literature as well as prizes for fiction, non-fiction, poetry and best first book.

“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. “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.