The Canadian Book Club Awards
Canada’s largest reader’s choice award, The Canadian Book Club Awards (CBCA), has announced the list of winners for the 2024 awards.
In 2024, the awards received the highest number of submissions, with a notable mix of traditional and self-published works, further cementing the diversity and richness of the Canadian literary landscape.
“What the Living Do” won the fiction category of The Canadian Book Club Awards in 2024.
timeline
Awards & Publications
2024
- Finalist, Canadian Bookclub Awards
- What the Living Do, novel Regal House Publishing
2023
- Mostly Sorry, flash, Waterwheel Review
- Could a Locked Door Save a Marriage, poem, Third Street Writers - Third Street Review
- Word For Word, poem, Funicular Magazine
- Emerging Writers Reading Series, One Way Home novel excerpt
- Ghyu Means Love in Nepali, poem Last Stanza Poetry JournalGhyu Means Love in Nepali, poem Last Stanza Poetry Journal
2022
- Speaking With the Dead, short story, Quagmire Literary Magazine
- The Guy Who Gave Me a Flower, Beyond Words Literary Magazine
- Zoom Call With an Old Friend, 1455 Literary Arts/Moveable Type
2021
- The Story as it is Told, essay, published in The Blood Pudding
2020
- What I Remember is This, runner-up, WOW! Women On Writing Essay Contest
- Terminal, flash fiction, published online in Big Whoopie Deal
2018
- Drive, 2nd place in K. Valerie Memorial Poetry Contest
- Once We Were Sad, 1st place in WOW-Women on Writing’s Essay Contest, published in Wow
2017
- Misconception, 1st place in The Writing District’s short prose competition, published in The Writing District Magazine
- The Me of Us, Berlin, 1976 published in Room Magazine, issue 40.2
- What the Living Do (First two chapters) 1st place in Lazuli Literary Group’s writing contest, published in Azure Magazine’s Winter issue
2016
- Tender Fruit, 1st place in the 23rd annual Writers’ Union of Canada’s short prose contest
2015
- Misconception, 1st place winner in Scugog Council for the Arts short prose contest
- Running Shoes, flash fiction challenge winner in The Word Weaver
- In Response, Winner, WCYR’s Poetry & Roses contest
2014
- Work Boots on Wall Street, CanWrite! Short Story Competition runner-up, published in the Canadian Authors Association’s CanWrite! Anthology 2015
- Closing Circle and The Soft One, long-listed WCDR prose contest, published in the Renaissance Anthology 2014.
- Second Coming, CAA Leacock Simcoe Erotic Prose Contest 2nd place
2013
- Chicks, 2nd place, published online in Flash Fiction
- Finalist, Poetry & Roses competition, with the poem, Ceremony
- Runner-up in Freefall Writing Competition with Still Life with Coconut
2012
- What’s Left, 1st prize in Whispered Words short prose contest, judged by Antanas Sileika, published in Whispered Words Anthology
2011
- Choose the Hammock, short story published in carte blanche literary magazine, submitted to the Journey Prize and Canadian Magazine Awards
- Four short pieces published in Being Unquiet Anthology
Grants
2017
- Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grant
2012
- Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grant
- Writers’ Community of Durham Region
Artist Residencies
2024
- 6-week self-directed writing residency, La Porte Peinte, Noyers sur Serein, France
2017
- 10-day self-directed writing residency, Banff Centre for the Arts
“Once We Were Sad” is the most gorgeous piece of writing I’ve read in a long time. Your narrative voice is strong! Heartbreak, separation, grief, trust–you captured these images beautifully and in an interesting way. The short beats “The deal was. What the deal was. Was.” LOVE that! Not being able to be with the one you love, and being able to trust, to share, to show someone who you really are. It’s never an easy thing. There is so much depth and beauty to your essay. Thank you so much for sharing it with us! It is in my heart now. Keep up the excellent writing! We can’t wait to read more from you! Write on!
Antanas Sileiki
Judge of Whispered Words Contest, Author, former Director of Creative Writing at Humber College