To be considered for any of the Emerging Writers Prizes, writers must meet the following criteria.
- You must be a permanent resident of Nova Scotia, meaning that you have lived in Nova Scotia full-time for at least the past twelve (12) months and that you file your personal income taxes in Nova Scotia. (Out-of-province post-secondary students and seasonal residents are ineligible.)
- You must be an emerging or early-career writer who has published no more than one (1) book-length literary project in any form or genre, including traditionally published, partner- or hybrid-published, and self-published projects.
- You must be 19 years of age or older by the current submission deadline.
In addition to the above criteria, you must meet one or more of the following prize-specific criteria.
- Saunders Prize: You must submit a speculative fiction work-in-progress or a nonfiction work-in-progress.
- Venart Prize: You must be a woman and/or another marginalized gender (including but not limited to Two-Spirit, trans, nonbinary, and fluid genders).
- Oliver Prize: You must be Black, African Nova Scotian, and/or African Canadian.
Submission packages must contain all components listed below and must be submitted by the prize deadline. Each submission package must be submitted as a single digital document (in .doc or .pdf format) with a file name as follows: [Your Name] – Emerging Writers Prizes. Incomplete, late, non-digital, or misnamed submission packages are ineligible.
A. ‘Cover letter’ up to 2 pages in length (single-spaced; in 12-pt Times New Roman or Arial font)
The cover letter is composed of personal responses to the following questions. All questions must be answered within these 2 pages, but the length of any particular response is up to you. In these questions, “prize period” refers to the 5-month span running from January through May following the submission deadline, during which time the literary activities associated with each prize will take place. Please start a new paragraph for each response.
- How long have you been writing?
- Summarize your writing activity for the past twelve months.
- Describe the literary activities you intend to focus on during the prize period (e.g., completing a chapbook of poems, revising a collection of short stories, or submitting a novel manuscript).
- Outline your work plan/schedule during the prize period.
- What goals have you set yourself to achieve during the prize period? Be specific.
- How will you prioritize writing during the prize period, and how will the prize period fit into your schedule?
B. Writing sample from the work-in-progress of 8 to 10 pages (double-spaced for prose; in 12-pt Times New Roman or Arial font)
- Poetry samples may be single- or double-spaced, as suits your intended presentation. Poetry samples may use other fonts only if typeface is integral to the work-in-progress.
- You may include a description (of up to one additional page) summarizing the work-in-progress from which the sample is excerpted and/or providing necessary context for the excerpt. Include any such description at the beginning of the writing sample.
All submitters will be notified of results by early January. Please do not inquire about the status of your submission during the assessment period.
After submission packages have been processed to ensure they are complete and eligible, they are shared with an independent peer assessment jury (composed of three professional authors contracted by WFNS to adjudicate all Emerging Writers Prizes).
All submission packages will be assessed based on the following criteria, weighted equally:
- the merit of the writing sample,
- the merit of the proposed writing activities, and
- the submitter’s commitment to the proposed writing activities.
The jury’s selection of prize recipients will be final. The cash award will be disbursed at the beginning of the prize period.
Whether submitting to one, two, or all three Emerging Writers Prizes, pay a single submission fee and submit a single submission form.
Submissions are accepted only through the form at the bottom of this page. Please note that completing the submission form is the final step in our recommended submission checklist:
- Ensure your eligibility.
- Ensure your submission package is complete and correct. In the event of an error, contact WFNS to explain the issue before submitting a revised submission package. No application package or correction can be accepted after the program deadline.
- Pay the $50 Emerging Writers Prizes submission fee. This fee covers most but not all of the assessment costs for each submission. As such, this fee cannot be refunded under any circumstance, including incomplete, ineligible, or unsuccessful submissions. This fee is $37.50 for those with current WFNS General Membership, which is open to anyone with an interest in creative writing, regardless of writing experience or place of residence.
If you are a current General Member, login before checkout to apply your member discount.
To pay fee by phone, call us between 10am and 3pm on weekdays at 902 423 8116 with your credit card details.
To pay fee by mail, send a cheque (payable to “Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia”) post-dated for no later than the application deadline.
- Complete and submit the online submission form, visible at the bottom of this page when applications are being accepted. After clicking the “Submit” button, please wait until you see the confirmation message (that your form has been successfully submitted) before exiting this page.
If the submission fee presents a barrier, please contact communications@writers.ns.ca before submitting. Funds are available to help underwaged writers with submission fees.
Submissions will be accepted Sept 18 to Oct 9, 2025
For the 2026 Emerging Writers Prizes
Submission form
For questions or further information, please contact us. Due to the volume of submissions anticipated, we ask that you contact us at least two weeks before the prize deadline.