CBC Literary Prizes

ELIGIBILITY
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Canadian citizens, whether living in Canada or abroad, and permanent residents of Canada are eligible to enter. 

Employees of CBC/Radio-Canada, Spafax Canada Inc., Canada Council for the Arts, Banff Centre and their affiliates, as well as their immediate family (father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter) and persons living under the same roof, are not eligible to enter this competition.

Previously published and unpublished authors may submit texts providing that the submissions are unpublished works. There must be only one author per entry.

All works that have appeared in print or on the Internet, including self-published works, as well as works that have been broadcast or delivered in front of a public audience, are considered previously published and are therefore not eligible for the competition. 

RIGHTS
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Entrants warrant they have created the entry they are submitting and that they own all rights to it. Entrants will indemnify and hold CBC, Spafax Canada Inc., Banff Centre and Canada Council for the Arts and their affiliates, harmless from and against any and all loss, damage, costs and other expense arising out of claims, whatever their nature, resulting directly or indirectly from breach of this warranty.

In submitting their work, each participant grants CBC/Radio-Canada, for both the English and French networks, the following licences free of charge and irrevocably: 

• The right to translate an excerpt from the work submitted (no more than 15% of its total length)
• The non-exclusive right to reproduce and publish an excerpt from the work submitted (no more than 15% of its total length) on the websites and platforms controlled or authorized by CBC/Radio-Canada, both in the original language and in translation 
• The non-exclusive right to record by means of any existing or not-yet-invented technology, to distribute and broadcast readings of excerpts from the work (no more than 15% of its total length) in the original language or in translation, on CBC/Radio-Canada networks and websites/platforms controlled or authorized by CBC/Radio-Canada, for one year from the date of submission.

In accepting a prize, which covers the payment for licences granting the rights listed below, winners grant to CBC/Radio-Canada, for the English and French networks, for the entire term of all rights, the following licences, exclusive for a year from the date of acceptance of the prize and non-exclusive thereafter, for all territories throughout the world, unless another agreement is reached with CBC/Radio-Canada: 

• The right to translate the work
• The right to reproduce and publish it on the websites and platforms controlled or authorized by CBC/Radio-Canada and on any future merchandise, both in the original language and in translation; net income from any use of merchandise shall be split 50/50 between CBC/Radio-Canada and the author or authors
• The right to make an audio/video recording by means of any existing or not-yet-invented technology, to distribute and broadcast readings of works or excerpts therefrom in the original language or in translation, on CBC/Radio-Canada networks and websites/platforms controlled or authorized by CBC/Radio-Canada 
• The right to edit, abridge or excerpt the work for the purposes of publication or broadcast. (The author will be consulted if significant edits are necessary.)

This licence includes the rights for CBC to grant sub-licences to exercise the rights granted by this licence.

To Spafax Canada inc.:

• The right to first print publication of the winning entry in Air Canada's enRoute magazine and to publication in its Internet site for one year beginning from the date of publication; After that period, Spafax will be authorized to insert a hyperlink to the CBC Internet site where the entries will be stored.
• The right to edit the work for the purposes of publication. (The author will be consulted if significant edits are necessary.)

Winners, as well as the people accompanying them, or their parents or guardians if the winners are minors, shall agree, if necessary, to have their name and/or picture, including their photograph, and/or their voice used for advertising purposes related to this competition, free of charge. 

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All entries must be original and unpublished works. Entries must be written in English or French (works written in multiple languages and translations are not eligible). All entries must fall within one of the following categories and be within the specified word count*:

•    Short Story (1,200 - 1,500 words; fiction)* 

•    Creative Nonfiction (1,200 - 1,500 words)*

The Creative Nonfiction Prize includes memoir, biography, humour writing, essay (including personal essay), travel writing, and feature articles. While the events must be real and the facts true, creative nonfiction conveys your message through the use of literary techniques such as characterization, plot, setting, dialogue, narrative, and personal reflection. In works of creative nonfiction, the writer's voice and opinion are evident. The work should be accessible to a general reading audience (i.e., not written for a specialized or academic audience).

•    Poetry (400 - 600 words; verse or prose)* 

*Word count excludes titles. Texts above or below the specified word count will be disqualified. For short-listed entries submitted by mail, an electronic version will be required to check the word count. Only the original content of the submission is counted, which excludes quotations and dedications.

Our word limits are strict. We use Microsoft Word to verify word counts. Since Word only relies on spaces to delimit words, any term containing a hyphen ("twenty-five") or an apostrophe ("can't", "don't") counts as a single word. Word also counts every article ("the", "a", etc.) as a separate word. Microsoft Word also automatically counts groups of characters (e.g. "xxx") as well as symbols (e.g. "***" or "~~~") as a word. 

Participants may submit as many entries as they wish in one or all categories. A writer can win only one prize per category, and each text may be submitted to only one category.

For each manuscript entered, participants must complete a separate official entry form and pay the entry fee.

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Entries can be submitted via the online registration form

CBC Literary Prizes

Category: (please insert your category here)

CBC Radio

P.O. Box 6000

Montreal, Quebec

H3C 3A8 

All submissions must:

•   Be accompanied by the official entry form (electronic or print version), and parental permission if applicable;

•   Be submitted anonymously: the name of the entrant must not appear anywhere on the text to ensure that judging is blind;

•   Be in letter format (8½ by 11). Mailed-in entries must be printed on single-sided white paper;

•    Be double spaced, except for poetry entries.

Please note:

•    All submissions are final: no changes or substitutions are allowed;

•    No handwritten manuscripts or fax entries will be accepted;

•    Entries will not be returned and editorial comments will not be given on the entries;

•    Entries should not be stapled or bound.  Paper clips are permitted.

If you want to receive acknowledgment by regular mail, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your entry.

A fee of $25.00 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry. The competition is 100% not-for-profit, with all fees going towards covering administrative costs, which include payment of readers and jurors of the competition. Entries will not be eligible until payment has been received and deposited (online or by cheque or money order).

Cheques or money orders must be mailed to the above address and made it payable to: "CBC Literary Prizes c/o CBC Radio." 

Please write the title of your entry on the cheque or money order.

Online payment is accepted only for entries submitted via our website. 

The entry fee will not be refunded if your submission is ineligible. All submissions are final: entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. 

Short Story

Competition opens: September 1

Deadline: November 1

Creative Nonfiction

Competition opens: December 1

Deadline: February 1

Poetry

Competition opens: March 1

Deadline: May 1

Online: all entries and payments must be made on or before 11:59 PM (ET) on the day of the deadline. 

By mail: entries must be postmarked, and cheques dated, on or before the day of the deadline at the latest.

Winners will be announced approximately 6 months after the deadline for each competition.

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Works are judged anonymously on the basis of the author's use of language, originality of subject and writing style. 

Submissions are processed by a two-tiered system of readers and jurors. 

The initial texts are screened by readers chosen for each category from a group of qualified editors and writers across the country. Each text is read by two readers. The readers come up with a longlist of 20-30 texts that are then forwarded to the jury who decide on a shortlist of 5 including a first-place winner and four runners-up. The members of the jury (3 per category) are composed of eminent writers and editors from the Canadian literary community.

Every effort is made to achieve a balance of gender and diversity in the readers and judges and to reflect regional differences and trends. The readers and jurors change every year and are based in different areas of the country. 

Jurors and readers in each category will be chosen by CBC/Radio-Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, The Banff Centre and Spafax Canada Inc. 

All decisions by the readers and the jury are final. Readers' and jurors' names are confidential until the end of the competition to ensure the judging process remains blind.

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Five cash prizes in each category, in each language, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts. 

First prize: $6,000 

Four finalists will receive $1,000 each 

Publication of winning work (first prize) in Air Canada's enRoute magazine 

Visibility provided by CBC/Radio-Canada to winners and their work on one or more of its platforms

A two-week residency in The Banff Centre's Leighton Artists' Colony to each first prize winner of CBC Literary Prizes: CBC Short Story Prize, CBC Creative Nonfiction Prize and CBC Poetry Prize. Each residency will include a two-week accommodation and meals at The Banff Centre, 24-hour access to a studio in the Leighton Artists' Colony, and opportunities to access Banff Centre events and performances for free. Winners must use their residency within one year of the prize award, at a time mutually agreeable to The Banff Centre and the prize winner. 

Participants may win only one prize per competition. Participants maintain ownership of their works, although rights to reproduce and distribute them to the public are limited by the licences granted according to these rules. 

Prizes shall be accepted as is, and may not be exchanged or transferred. No substitutions shall be allowed. 

If a prize cannot be awarded as described in these rules, CBC/Radio-Canada, Spafax Canada Inc., The Banff Centre and the Canada Council for the Arts reserve the right to substitute one or more prizes or prize components with another of approximately equivalent value. 

To be proclaimed winners, participants must meet all the conditions set out in these rules.
The winners, or in the of case minors, their parents or guardians, shall sign a declaration of eligiblity for the competition, as set out in these rules, and release CBC/Radio-Canada, Spafax Canada Inc., the Canada Council for the Arts, The Banff Centre and their affiliated companies or agents, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, from any liability for damage or loss whatsoever, whether arising from the participants' involvement in this competition or from the awarding, acceptance or use of the prize. 

A winner's refusal to accept a prize shall release CBC/Radio-Canada, Spafax Canada Inc., the Canada Council for the Arts, The Banff Centre and their affiliated companies or agents, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, from all obligations towards the winner. 

 

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Should participants make any false statement, they shall be automatically disqualified from the competition. If plagiarism is alleged, the jury shall conduct a reasonable inquiry in the circumstances, and if it determines that plagiarism has occurred, the participant concerned shall be disqualified and shall return the prize money. Such a decision by the jury shall be final and cannot be appealed. 

CBC, Spafax Canada Inc., The Banff Centre and Canada Council for the Arts and their affiliates, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, shall assume no liability resulting from losses, delays, mistaken addresses on mail or e-mail received, typographical errors, technical, computer or telephone malfunctions, loss or theft of computer or telephone data, damage to software or computer equipment, fraudulent calls or any other mistake.

The CBC, Spafax Canada Inc., The Banff Centre and Canada Council for the Arts and their affiliates shall assume no liability of any kind whatsoever in any cases in which their inability to act results from an event or situation beyond their control, including more particularly a strike, lock-out or any other labour dispute in their place of business or the places of business of the organizations or businesses whose services are used to hold this competition.

All personal information, such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, year of birth and occupation, is collected solely for the purposes of administering this competition and shall not be used for any other purpose without your consent. By providing this information, you consent to it being used for the stated purposes.

By entering, participants agree to abide by the competition rules which shall be applied by the CBC. All its decisions are final and without appeal.

This competition is subject to all federal, provincial and municipal legislation applicable.

CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 2012

The rules and regulations for the competition are also available in PDF format here.

To view PDF files, you must download Acrobat Reader (free download).