Alistair MacLeod Award for Short Fiction
The Alistair Macleod Award for Short Fiction was established in 2016 in tribute to the late Alistair MacLeod (1936-2014), one of Canada’s greatest writers and a world-renowned master of the short fiction form. Each year, the award recognizes the best English-language short-fiction collections by Atlantic Canadian authors, with the award jury selecting a shortlist of three titles, one of which is the winner. A prize of $2,000 will be issued to the winning author, and prizes of $250 to the other two finalists.
The Atlantic Book Awards is pleased to administer this prize in partnership with the Cabot Trail Writers Festival and with prize funding generously donated by Bookmark Booksellers Inc.
Submissions and Guidelines
Please visit the information page for this Award maintained by the Cabot Trail Writers Festival for detailed submission instructions and a listing of past winners.
Congratulations!
The winner of the 2025 Alistair MacLeod Award for Short Fiction is Susie Taylor for her collection of linked stories, Vigil (Breakwater Books).
Of the book, the jury said, “Taylor doesn’t shy away from difficult material, in the face of hardship her characters can be as messy and cruel, as they are resourceful and loyal. The portrayals of poverty and addiction in Vigil are raw and unflinchingly honest, and yet this collection is full of humour, tenderness, and vivid beauty.”
Susie Taylor lives in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador. She is the author of two books, Vigil and Even Weirder Than Before. Taylor is the fiction editor at Riddle Fence Magazine.