Contests

How winning the 2015 CNFC contest changed me

Kirsten Fogg is a bilingual Australian-Canadian journalist, editor and award-winning essayist who has been shaped by living in four countries and by the suicide of her 16-year-old brother. Her essays have been published in journals including Creative Nonfiction and The Malahat Review and adapted by ABC Radio National Australia. Her journalism has appeared in various world media. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction (2022). Sign up to her newsletter here:  Writer out of Residence and connect with her on…

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Interview with 2024 CNFC Contest Judge, Lisa Bird-Wilson

Interview with 2024 CNFC Contest Judge, Lisa Bird-Wilson Volunteer Margaret Lynch interviews 2024 CNFC/HLR Contest Judge, Lisa Bird-Wilson who shares her thoughts on writing, reading, and what she’s looking for in contest submissions. Lisa Bird-Wilson is a Saskatchewan Métis and Cree writer whose work appears in literary magazines, newspapers, and anthologies across Canada. Her most recent book, Probably Ruby (2021), is published internationally and was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, for the Amazon First Novel Award,…

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2023 Contest Shortlist

Congratulations to the five writers who’ve made the CNFC-HLR nonfiction contest shortlist! Our judge, Donna Morrissey, had some tough choices to make. According to her, the finalist selection process was difficult because the calibre of writing in each of the longlisted pieces was quite high. 2023 CNFC-HLR nonfiction contest shortlist:   Anita Allen – “Funhouse” Raymond Gariepy – “The Unborn and Born Dead are Yet Among Us” Rayyan Kamal – “Departure Lounge” Dhana Musil – “By Association” Laura Ollerenshaw –…

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2023 CNFC-Humber Literary Review CNF Contest Longlist

The Creative Nonfiction Collective Society and The Humber Literary Review are pleased to announce the long list for this year’s creative nonfiction contest. Congratulations to the following writers! Anita Allen – Funhouse Carmen Farrell – Closet Full of Monsters Raymond Gariepy – The Unborn and Born Dead are Yet Among Us Rayyan Kamal – Departure Lounge Ivy Lerner-Frank – Mercy Dhana Musil – By Association Laura Ollerenshaw – Of Least Concern Adelle Purdham – Wild Horses Laura Wershler – To…

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Interview with Donna Morrissey

Interview with CNFC Contest Judge, Donna Morrissey In December 2022, CNFC volunteer, Nancy O’Rourke, interviewed the 2023 CNFC Contest Judge, Donna Morrissey. Read about Donna’s thoughts on writing, reading, and advice for CNFC contest writers. – Donna Morrissey has published seven national best-selling novels. She has received awards in Canada, the U.S. and England and her novel, Sylvanus Now, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize. Donna’s fiction has been translated into several different languages. She was nominated for a Gemini for her script, The Clothesline…

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Getting Your CNF Writing into the Winner’s Circle

Nancy O’Rourke, for the CNFC Blog CNFC member and volunteer, Nancy O’Rourke, a former CNFC contest winner and jury reader, interviewed two jury readers from the 2022 contest, Allyson Latta and Becky Blake. The interview explores how potential contest writers can best prepare their submissions to improve their chances of winning. BECKY BLAKE is a two-time winner of the CBC Literary Prize (for non-fiction in 2017 and short fiction in 2013). More recently, she was the 2021 winner of the CNFC/Humber…

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Congratulations to the winner of the 2022 CNFC/HLR Nonfiction Contest!

The Creative Nonfiction Collective Society and The Humber Literary Review are pleased to announce the winner for this year’s creative nonfiction contest. Congratulations to Taslim Jaffer! Her submission Survival “is beautiful through and through, an elevated memoir that goes beyond rich storytelling into universal themes about motherhood and immigration. It takes great skill to weave together entomology and ethnography into a personal narrative, but the writer’s sharp voice and exquisite craft makes it seamless” according to our contest judge, Omar Mouallem…

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