ELIGIBILITY AND GUIDELINES
a. Declaration of Indigenous Identity and Eligibility: Applicants for Indigenous Voices Awards must make a declaration of Indigenous identity indicating their Indigenous cultural background and identifying the Indigenous (primarily First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit) community or communities with which they are affiliated. According to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues statement on Indigenous identity, the arbiter is “Self-identification as Indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member.” We recognize that various colonial policies have created diverse and complex contexts for Indigenous identities, and our purpose here is less to rigidly police identity claims than it is to recognize and engage the diversity of legitimate Indigenous experience. As our work is in relationship with the writers and literatures emerging from the lands now occupied by Canada, we prioritize First Nations, Métis, and Inuit writers for these awards, although we do welcome Canada-based writers with Indigenous affiliations from other parts of the world.
b. Definition of “Emerging” Writers: For the purposes of these awards, “emerging” refers to writers who are thus far unpublished or who have published three books or fewer. Writers who are uncertain if they qualify should contact our office to get further clarification. (email: indigenous_voices_awards@sfu.ca)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
When does this contest open and close?
The submission categories for 2025 open on Thursday, January 2, 2025 and closed on Friday, February 14, 2025.
Do I need to be Indigenous and if so, how do I prove this?
Yes, to be eligible for the Indigenous Voices Awards, authors must be Indigenous; in support of your identity you must make a declaration of Indigenous identity when completing the application.
Do I have to be an Indigenous person of Canada?
We do not require that applicants be “Canadian citizens,” to be eligible for these awards, however, applicants must demonstrate sustained connection to lands claimed by Canada and currently reside in Canada.
Is there an age limit?
All applicants must be 18 years or older as of January 1, 2025, in order to qualify. There is no upper age limit.
How many categories can I apply for?
Authors can submit to only ONE category each year.
Who submits the writing to each category?
If you are a published writer your press will submit four copies of each published book on your behalf. We will also ask them to provide us with a digital version of the manuscript, submit a digital image of the cover of the book, and any other promotional material for the book including your author photo and bio.
If you are an unpublished writer you will submit the work yourself. The easiest way is likely to attach a pdf or word document to an email but hard copies are accepted.
What books qualify for entry?
All published works of prose and poetry that have been published between January 1st 2024 and December 31st 2024 may qualify. Published work will be considered eligible for these awards provided it either appeared on the market between January 1st and December 31st of the year in question or bears an official publication date between January 1st and December 31st of the year in question.
All unpublished fiction must never have been published previously.
Do self-published books qualify as “published”?
Usually No. Self-published books are usually considered to be “unpublished.”
Does writing on a blog qualify as “published”?
No. Writing on blogs is considered to be “unpublished.”
How many books can I have published to be considered an “Emerging writer”?
You can submit to the Published category if you have no more than 3 published books; to submit to the Unpublished category you can have only one book-length work published by the time of submission.
How long can my unpublished submission be?
Unpublished submissions can be no longer than 25 double-spaced pages or less in 12 point font.
Will the jurors know the names of the writers whose work they are judging?
If the book is published, the judge will see the name of the author on the published text. They will be asked to recuse themselves if they are assigned any books for which they have a conflict of interest. If the work is unpublished, we make every reasonable effort to anonymize submissions to the unpublished categories prior to their receipt by members of the Jury. Should a judge recognize a work for which they have a conflict of interest, we ask them to recuse themselves.
Still have a question? Email us at Indigenous_voices_awards@sfu.ca
Email us at Indigenous_voices_awards@sfu.ca
Mailing address:
Indigenous Voices Awards: Attention Billy-Ray Belcourt
c/o UBC School of Creative Writing
1866 MAIN MALL
BUCHANAN E465
VANCOUVER BC V6T 1Z1