Ryerson Fiction Award

らいあそんしょうせつしょう

A Canadian literary award (1942–1960) sponsored by Ryerson Press, targeting unpublished long novels.

FictionNovelCanadian literatureUnpublished manuscript

Established: 1942
Organizer: Ryerson Press
Category: General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: Irregular
Announcement Period: around March–May
Status: Active

Description

The Ryerson Fiction Award (also known as the All-Canada Prize) was presented irregularly by Ryerson Press between 1942 and 1960 to an unpublished manuscript by a new or emerging Canadian writer. The winning manuscript was published by Ryerson Press. The prize amounted to $1,000, of which $500 was an advance on royalties. Although prominent in its era, relatively few winning titles remained widely reprinted.

Prize

Main Prize: Publication by Ryerson Press and cash prize ($1,000, of which $500 is an advance on royalties).
Cash Prize: 1,000 CAD

Publication (Ryerson Press)
$500 advance on royalties

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Selection and Awarding	Ryerson Press editorial staff or committee (details not specified in materials)	—	Selection results were announced publicly, winning works were published by Ryerson Press, and reported in newspapers, etc.

Selection and Awarding

Judges Ryerson Press editorial staff or committee (details not specified in materials)

Announcement Selection results were announced publicly, winning works were published by Ryerson Press, and reported in newspapers, etc.

Criteria

Unpublished manuscript (by new or emerging writers)
Having literary value and suitability for publication
Long novel (fiction)

Application Tips

Dos

Confirm it is an unpublished manuscript
Carefully proofread the work and refine its structure, vocabulary, and polishing
If available, follow the publisher's submission guidelines (format, page count, attachments)
Prepare a summary (synopsis) that clearly conveys the work's originality and publication potential, along with an author biography