# Carol Shields Prize for Fiction

The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is a North American literary award, created in 2020 to honour literature by women. The annual prize awards US$150,000 to the winning work and US$12,500 to each of the shortlisted finalists, making it one of the world's richest literary awards.
The prize is awarded to a Canadian or American woman or non-binary writer for a work published in English. French-language literature by Canadians, and Spanish-language literature by Americans, will be eligible when published in an English translation. Submissions are judged by a jury that includes at least one Canadian, one American and one international judge. Novelist Carol Shields was selected as the namesake of the award, both in honour of her record as an advocate and mentor for women writers and because of her status as a dual citizen of both countries. The winner will also receive a residency at the Fogo Island writers' retreat. In addition, the winner will also select an emerging female or non-binary writer, who will receive a year-long mentorship.
The prize was created by Canadian novelist Susan Swan and editor Janice Zawerbny, with an organizing committee that includes noted women literary figures such as Alice Munro, Dionne Brand, Jane Urquhart, Charlotte Gray, Margaret Atwood, Marie-Claire Blais, Natasha Trethewey, Jane Smiley, Francine Prose and Erica Jong. Alexandra Skoczylas is the current chief executive officer.
The first award was in 2023, with the longlist announced on March 8, the shortlist on April 6 and the winner on May 4. The 2024 award was announced on 13 May.

## Nominees and winners

Nominees for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction :
| Year | Jury | Author | Book | Result |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Fatimah Asghar | When We Were Sisters | Winner |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Daphne Palasi Andreades | Brown Girls | Shortlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Talia Lakshmi Kolluri | What We Fed to the Manticore | Shortlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Suzette Mayr | The Sleeping Car Porter | Shortlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Alexis Schaitkin | Elsewhere | Shortlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Andrea Barrett | Natural History | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Lisa Hsiao Chen | Activities of Daily Living | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Francine Cunningham | God Isn't Here Today | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Kali Fajardo-Anstine | Woman of Light | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Liana Finck | Let There Be Light | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Emma Hooper | We Should Not Be Afraid of the Sky | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Gish Jen | Thank You, Mr. Nixon | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Chelene Knight | Junie | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Tsering Yangzom Lama | We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies | Longlist |
| 2023 | Anita Rau Badami Merilyn Simonds Monique Truong Katherena Vermette Crystal Wilkinson | Namwali Serpell | The Furrows | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | V. V. Ganeshananthan | Brotherless Night | Winner |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Eleanor Catton | Birnam Wood | Shortlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Claudia Dey | Daughter | Shortlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Kim Coleman Foote | Coleman Hill | Shortlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Janika Oza | A History of Burning | Shortlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Lisa Alward | Cocktail | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Nicole Cuffy | Dances | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Aisha Abdel Gawad | Between Two Moons | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Tania James | Loot | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Juliana Lamy | You Were Watching from the Sand | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Catherine Leroux | The Future | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Rebecca Makkai | I Have Some Questions for You | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Mona Susan Power | A Council of Dolls | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | Anuja Varghese | Chrysalis | Longlist |
| 2024 | Jen Sookfong Lee (Jury Chair) Laila Lalami Claire Messud Dolen Perkins-Valdez Eden Robinson | C Pam Zhang | Land of Milk and Honey | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Eliza Barry Callahan | The Hearing Test | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Anne Fleming | Curiosities | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Dominique Fortier, tr. Rhonda Mullins | Pale Shadows | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Miranda July | All Fours | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Mubanga Kalimamukwento | Obligations to the Wounded | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Oonya Kempadoo | Naniki | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Rachel Kushner | Creation Lake | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Canisia Lubrin | Code Noir | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Sarah Manguso | Liars | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Erica McKeen | Cicada Summer | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Julia Phillips | Bear | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | V Efua Prince | Kin: Practically True Stories | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Aube Rey Lescure | River East, River West | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | O. O. Sangoyomi | Masquerade | Longlist |
| 2025 | Diana Abu-Jaber (Jury Chair) Norma Dunning Kim Fu Tessa McWatt Jeanne Thornton | Sharon Wahl | Everything Flirts: Philosophical Romances | Longlist |