The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is proud to present the five distinguished writers on our 2026 Prize Jury
These renowned authors, teachers, and mentors each have a deep commitment to exceptional fiction by women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada. Learn more about our 2026 Prize Jury below.
Click here for a full press release.
The 2026 longlist will be revealed on March 10, and the shortlist on April 21.
On June 2, one writer will be awarded the $150,000 USD grand prize at an award ceremony in Toronto.
In addition to the grand prize, the Winner will receive a five night stay at Fogo Island Inn.
The four finalists and the winner will participate in a group retreat residency in the Leighton Artist Studios, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Each of the four Finalists will receive $12,500 USD.
“It’s been such an honor and a privilege to encounter this body of work by women and non-binary authors, who are writing some of the most exciting literature I’ve seen in an age. We are in a moment where gender minority artists are in a perilous place, and it has never been more important to highlight their achievements and provide them with resources. We cannot wait until the Shields Prize longlist is revealed and readers can also experience the thrill of engaging with their work.”
Meet the 2026 Jury
Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties) Jury Chair
https://carmenmariamachado.com
Carmen Maria Machado is the author of the bestselling memoir In the Dream House and the award-winning short story collection Her Body and Other Parties. Her essays, fiction, and criticism have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, Granta, Vogue, This American Life, The Believer, Guernica, and elsewhere.
Ivan Coyote (Tomboy Survival Guide, Gender Failure)
Ivan Coyote is a writer and storyteller, the author of thirteen books, the creator of four films, three albums, and an international touring performer. In 2017, they were given an honorary PhD from Simon Fraser University. Ivan's 13th book, Care Of, was released in June 2021 by McClelland and Stewart.
Cherie Dimaline (The Marrow Thieves, Funeral Songs for Dying Girls)
https://www.cheriedimaline.com
Cherie Dimaline is an internationally bestselling author. Her novel The Marrow Thieves was named by TIME magazine as one of the Best YA Books of All Time and won the Governor General’s Award and the Kirkus Prize. Cherie lives in her Georgian Bay Métis Community and writes/produces for screen and stage.
Chitra Divakaruni (The Last Queen, Oleander Girl)
https://www.chitradivakaruni.com
Author and activist Chitra Divakaruni has written 23 books including Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, Palace of Illusions, The Forest of Enchantments, The Last Queen, and Independence, which won an American Book Award. She is the McDavid Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Houston.
Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman)
Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Story Prize, and the LA Times Book Prize for First Fiction, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Deesha’s debut novel, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, is forthcoming in September 2026.
Go to https://tinyurl.com/2026ShieldsPrize to access the press release and media assets.
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