APPLICATION DEADLINE MIDNIGHT PST FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025

Award Application

Please read and complete the entire page

Prize Categories

This year there are 6 categories totalling $22,000 for emerging Indigenous writers

1. Published Prose in English ($5,000)

2. Published Poetry in English ($5,000)

3. Unpublished Prose in English ($400 for each finalist for up to 5 finalists for a total of $2,000.00)

4. Unpublished Poetry in English ($400 for each finalist for up to 5 finalists for a total of $2,000.00)

There are two $5000 prizes for Published Work in French that will be adjudicated by the French team; see the Kwahiatonhk! website and Facebook page.

Submissions in English will be accepted between January 2, 2025 and February 14, 2025.

Please note we reserve the right to not give a prize in a category should there be insufficient number of submissions. Should this happen we will inform applicants in advance of the shortlist announcement. Likewise, we reserve the right to add a category if we have an overwhelming number of entries in any one category. 

Note: For unpublished authors of either prose or poetry, please remember to limit your submission to no more than 25 pages, double spaced, in font size 12.

Submission Form

Please complete the form below

Note:
When we promote those authors who are shortlisted by our jurors, we require two autobiographical statements.

i) The first is your Nation or Tribal affiliation. When we list the finalists, we include the descriptor in brackets. 

For example:

a) Joshua Whitehead (Oji-Cree)

b)Joshua Whitehead (Oji-nêhiyaw)

c) Michelle Good (Cree)

We want you, the writers, to be the ones to choose the exact wording rather than have us make these decisions for you. 

ii) The second is a longer phrase that will be used in promotional materials as we promote the shortlisted authors.

For example:

a) “Joshua Whitehead is a Two-Spirit, Oji-nêhiyaw member of Peguis First Nation (Treaty 1).”

b) “Michelle Good is a descendent of the Battle River Cree and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation.”

Again, we want you as the writers to choose how you will be represented.  

Application Instructions

We request that Publishers send both an online pdf and four hard copies. Jurors are best able to assess the work if they have access to both. If this is a problem, please contact the office at Indigenous_Voices_Awards@sfu.ca

We request that unpublished authors submit their documents by email attachment but if you prefer to mail in a hard copy, please contact the office at Indigenous_Voices_Awards@sfu.ca for further instructions. Please limit your submission of unpublished prose or unpublished poetry to no more than 25 pages, doubled spaced, in font size 12.

NOTE FOR PUBLISHED SUBMISSIONS in English:
Please email us an author bio, a high resolution author head shot, a high resolution image of the book cover, and any relevant social media information for the author and publisher.

PDFs can be sent to: Indigenous_Voices_Awards@sfu.ca

Hardcopies of published prose and poetry in English (please send 4) can be mailed to:

Indigenous Voices Awards Attention Billy-Ray Belcourt

c/o UBC School of Creative Writing

1866 MAIN MALL

BUCHANAN E465

VANCOUVER BC V6T 1Z1

Arrangements can be made to accept other formats that are not pdfs by emailing: Indigenous_Voices_Awards@sfu.ca

For any further questions or instructions please contact Indigenous_Voices_Awards@sfu.ca