What We Do

The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is a major English-language literary award celebrating creativity and excellence in fiction by women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada.

Our Mission

Fans of Carol Shields will recognize the name behind the prize. American-born and Canadian-based author Carol Shields was committed to the wider recognition of writer’s voices and lives, and so the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction was born: her name a perfect match for the new preeminent literary prize for writers in the United States and Canada. 

By putting the work of women writers in the spotlight — and by creating charitable grants and mentorships for marginalized and underrepresented writers — this new annual literary award will acknowledge, celebrate and promote fiction by a wider, more diverse, and inclusive group of women and non-binary writers.