April 26 is Independent Bookstore Day! Consider supporting on of The Carol Shields Prize’s partner stores in Canada and the United States.

30 years ago, on April 19, 1995, Carol Shields won the Pulitzer Prize for The Stone Diaries.

Three decades later, the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, created to recognize and uplift the best works in fiction by women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada, is proud to continue her legacy.

The 2025 shortlisted authors are Dominique Fortier (Pale Shadows, translated by Rhonda Mullins), Miranda July (All Fours), Canisia Lubrin (Code Noir), Sarah Manguso (Liars), and Aube Rey Lescure (River East, River West).

The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction’s longlist includes 15 unforgettable works of fiction by women writers in the U.S. and Canada, spanning novels, short story collections, and fiction in translation.

The shortlist will be revealed on April 3.

It is Nonfiction November and we have a treat for you! An exclusive cover reveal of Susan Swan's forthcoming memoir Big Girls Don't Cry: A Memoir of Taking Up Space (HarperCollins Canada and Beacon Press, 2025). Plus, Susan Swan, a Co-Founder of The Carol Shields Prize Foundation, sat down with us for an interview about the differences between fiction and memoir, how her women writer friends supported her in the process of writing Big Girls Don't Cry, and coming to terms with the differences that shape who we are.

The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction panel, “Amplifying Women’s Voices,” was a highlight of the 2024 Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago. Program and Operations Manager, Emily Kellogg, moderated a packed-house session with a rapt and engaged audience who were eager to hear from three of our extraordinary 2024 Shortlisted authors. Kim Coleman Foote (Coleman Hill), Janika Oza (A History of Burning), and Claudia Dey (Daughter) each read a brief passage from their unforgettable novels, and provided thoughtful responses to questions from Emily.  

Did you know August is Women in Translation month?

This year, we interviewed Canadian-American translator Zoë A. Perry and asked her about translation, challenges women translators face, and how being Canadian-American has influenced her career.

What a year! June 30 marked the end of another successful fiscal year at the Carol Shields Prize Foundation. We are proud of the work we have done in our second full year of Prize activity.