Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour
すてぃーゔん・りーこっくきねんゆーもあ・めだる
Canada's annual humour literary award. Awarded to humorous works by Canadian writers written in English.
HumourLiterary awardEnglish works
- Established
- 1946
- Organizer
- Stephen Leacock Associates (non-profit organization, Leacock Foundation)
- Category
- Literature and General Literary Arts
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Announcement Period
- around June
- Status
- Active
Description
The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour is an annual literary award given to humorous books by Canadian writers written in English. The organization was established in 1946, with awards starting in 1947 (no award in 1959 due to no qualifying work). It includes a silver medal (sculpted by Emanuel Hahn) and a cash prize, announced at a dinner-style ceremony near Orillia, Ontario, typically from spring to early summer. The selection process is: longlist creation (usually 10 books) by readers → shortlist selection (usually 3 books, previously 5) by judges → the same panel determines the final winner.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Silver medal (by Emanuel Hahn) and cash prize
- Cash Prize
- 25,000 CAD
- Shortlisted entrants also receive prize money (CA$3,000 each as of 2018)
- Student Award for Humour by Stephen Leacock Associates (established 1977, for students)
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longlist creation (Readers) | Readers commissioned by Stephen Leacock Associates rank the submitted works and create a longlist of usually 10 books | Unknown (depends on total submissions) | Longlist/nomination information may be published from early year to spring |
| Shortlist selection (Shortlist) | A judging panel appointed by the Associates' board narrows the longlist to usually 3 books (previously 5) | Approx. 30% (longlist 10 books → shortlist 3 books) | Shortlist usually announced in early May |
| Final selection and winner announcement | The same judging panel selects the winner from the shortlist | Approx. 33% (shortlist 3 books → 1 winner) | Winner announced at dinner (every spring to early summer, near Orillia) |
Longlist creation (Readers)
Judges
Readers commissioned by Stephen Leacock Associates rank the submitted works and create a longlist of usually 10 books
Pass Rate
Unknown (depends on total submissions)
Announcement
Longlist/nomination information may be published from early year to spring
Shortlist selection (Shortlist)
Judges
A judging panel appointed by the Associates' board narrows the longlist to usually 3 books (previously 5)
Pass Rate
Approx. 30% (longlist 10 books → shortlist 3 books)
Announcement
Shortlist usually announced in early May
Final selection and winner announcement
Judges
The same judging panel selects the winner from the shortlist
Pass Rate
Approx. 33% (shortlist 3 books → 1 winner)
Announcement
Winner announced at dinner (every spring to early summer, near Orillia)
Criteria
- Must be a book on the theme of humour
- Must be a work written in English
- Author must be Canadian
- Must be a work published or self-published in the previous year
- Literary quality, originality and conveyance of humour expression to readers
Application Tips
Dos
- 英語で書かれたユーモア作品を応募する
- 対象年（通常は前年度）に出版または自己出版された作品であることを確認する
- 校正と編集を入念に行い、ユーモアのトーンやリズムを整える
- 出版社や応募要件に従い必要書類を揃えて提出する（自己出版も可）
Don''ts
- カナダ人でない著者や英語以外の作品を応募しない
- ジャンル（ユーモア）と合致しない作品を無理に出さない
- 提出期限や応募規定を無視して飛び込み的に提出しない
From Judges
- ユーモアは技術とタイミングが重要。独創性と読者の共感を重視する
- 文体と構成の完成度が高いことが選考で有利になる
- 文化的文脈や言葉遊びを明確に伝えられる表現を心がける
Related Awards
- Governor General's Awards (historically related)
- Stephen Leacock Associates' Student Award for Humour (student award)
- Other Canadian literary awards (exposure opportunities in related fields)
Official Resources
http://www.leacock.ca/Past Winners
Will Ferguson
Winner
Ian Ferguson
Winner
Dan Needles
Winner
Will Ferguson
Winner
Stuart McLean
Winner
Stuart McLean
Winner
Marsha Boulton
Winner
Josh Freed
Winner
Bill Richardson
Winner
John Levesque
Winner
Roch Carrier
Winner
Joseph Kertes
Winner
No winner