Canada’s richest post-secondary writing prize is accepting submissions for its 2022 competition. The Bridge Prize short story writing competition is now open to all undergraduate and graduate students attending Canadian post-secondary schools — with more than $10,000 in prizes available to the winner and three finalists.

“Our inaugural competition was so overwhelmingly positive, we’re really excited to engage another group of writers in the process,” says Dr. Shelly Wismath, dean of the School of Liberal Education, which launched the competition with support of Vancouver-based U of L alumnus Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) as lead donor.

The 2020 Bridge Prize debuted by attracting 340 manuscripts, representing 61 post-secondary institutions from nine provinces – a truly national competition.

“It definitely exceeded our expectations and also validated what we suspected all along, that there are exceptional writers throughout our country who are looking for avenues to express themselves and showcase their creativity,” adds Wismath. “With the prestigious jury we have compiled for the 2022 competition, the reputation of the Bridge Prize has grown tremendously and we expect to see a cross-country representation of aspiring writers take part once again.”

The pan-Canadian jury for the 2022 competition consists of Joan Thomas, Bill Richardson, Lisa Moore, Waubgeshig Rice, Frencesca Ekwuyasi and Sam Wiebe. The top prize for the winning entry is $7,500 with three additional finalists each receiving $1,000. Each winning author will also receive a $200 gift card courtesy of Munro’s Books. The Walrus is another major sponsor.

Submissions are now open and will be accepted until January 22, 2022. Each submission carries a $20 fee. Full competition guidelines are available on the Bridge Prize web page.