Edna Staebler was a pioneer in the field of literary journalism and a beloved figure in her (our) home region of Waterloo, Ontario. Her first article, “Duellists of the Deep,” a story about swordfishing with Neil’s Harbour fishermen, and published in Macleans when she was in her forties, won the Canadian Womens Press Club Memorial Award. Edna went on to publish with Macleans, Chatelaine, Saturday Night, and other flagship magazines, while her books include the Food that Really Schmecks series—cookbooks so entertaining that people read them in bed.

Contest:

• A $1000 top prize will be awarded for one personal essay.

• All entries will be considered for publication in The New Quarterly ($250 paid upon publication).

• Entry fee: $40 per essay (includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly).

• Entrants’ anonymity will be preserved throughout the judging process.

• Decisions will be posted by late August. Finalists will be notified ahead by email.

**Last updated July 2024 (description taken from the program’s website)