Quebec Writers’ Federation Announces Finalists for 2026 College Writers Award

The award acknowledges exceptional literary work in the form of a poem, short story, or a piece of non-fiction, and is open to students enrolled at a sponsoring college during the academic year of the competition. The six institutions sponsoring the award are Champlain Regional, Dawson, Heritage, John Abbott, Marianopolis, and Vanier.

Simone Comtois, a commerce student at Dawson, expressed her hope that her nominated poem will bring peace of mind to readers. Aryan Narayanswamy, a 19-year-old Montreal resident studying English secondary education at McGill University, is nominated for “Like Fields, Like Snow” and has interests in drawing, playing bass, and crocheting. Hailey Racine, now a physics student at McGill, is recognized for her work “Fishhook,” which she views as a means to express her care for the world and share meaningful stories. Zahra Yagoub, a John Abbott graduate studying animal health and disease at McGill, is nominated for “Ferraris and Farm Roads: How Performance Shapes Our Paths.” She sees writing as a way to connect with her experiences related to education, the outdoors, and animal conservation.

The winner will be announced on November 9 during the QWF Literary Awards Gala at the Cabaret Lion d’Or in Montreal. The event will feature a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m., during which winners in eight categories and the carte blanche Prize will also be revealed. The evening will honor the recipient of the Judy Mappin Community Award.

As of the QWF's announcement on October 23, tickets for the gala are sold out, although the federation plans to release additional tickets and has established a waiting list on its website.