Last call for the CBC Nonfiction Prize

 

The 2024 CBC Nonfiction Prize is open for submissions

You can submit original, unpublished nonfiction that is up to 2,000 words. There is no minimum word requirement. Nonfiction includes memoir, biography, humour writing, essay (including personal essay), travel writing and feature articles.

The prize is open to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Work that has been published online or in print or recorded for broadcast is considered "previously published" and is not eligible. 

Entry fee: $25

Prizes: The winner will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have the opportunity to attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and have their work published on CBC Books.

Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their story published on CBC Books. And all the longlisted writers will be featured on CBC Books.

Deadline: March 1, 2024. Full guidelines here.

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See Brian Henry’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

Going along with President Biden might be the smart move, but the smart move isn’t always the wise move” by Brian Henry

“Sane Israelis have had to set their sights lower: not peace, just security.”

We’ve heard only two pieces of wisdom about the day after Israel defeats Hamas.

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog – a dovish leftwing kind of guy – had this to say at the World Economic Forum in Davos: “No Israelis in their right mind” are thinking about the peace process right now. … 

Read the rest here.

Read more of Brian’s essays here {and scroll down}.

New book coming out: Autokrator by Emily A. Weedon

Hi there, Brian.

Always glad to see your emails and that you are busy. 

It’s been busy for me – a Canadian Screen Award for Writing on Chateau Laurier last year and a gig writing four scripts in the writing room on Corus Ent/Sphere Media's Red Ketchup animated tv series on Stack TV

My novel, Autokrator, FINALLY comes out this year from Cormorant. It's been at the printer for about a week so I feel fairly safe saying so now.... Fairly. 

Leah Eichler, who runs Esoterica gave me my pull quote:

What happens when you strip women of all their rights? Autokrator offers a chilling insight into a brutal but not completely unfamiliar world, where the patriarchy runs amok to devastating consequences. Weedon skillfully builds a dystopian universe, inviting the reader to live out the lives of two “Unmales” who battle the orthodoxy, one for power and the other for love. Their continued survival, despite the terrifying horrors occurring all around them, raises many questions, most notably: Will we ever find our way back to a more just society?

In a post Roe v Wade environment, where reproduction trumps individual rights, it’s hard not to read this sweeping saga with terror.

– Leah Eichler, Publisher, Esoterica Magazine

All the best,

Emily

I blog about writing and the book and films and other things at: www.emilyweedon.com

Autokrator by Emily A. Weedon

In her debut novel, Emily Weedon creates a deeply-etched, speculative world in which two women, born nameless, fight against their tyrannical society.

The disappearance of yet another Domestic means Cera must take on extra duties and tend the rooms of The Kratorling, the young successor to the Autokracy. Face-to-face with him, Cera realizes he is her son, taken from her at birth. She vows to make herself known to him, no matter the cost.

Driven by a Machiavellian mind and ego, Tiresius has successfully hidden her Unmale status in plain sight for years. She rose through the ranks of the Autokracy to reach the highest levels of government. She revels in the power she has attained, but her ruse makes her a gender criminal, which is an act punishable by death.

Both Cera and Tiresius are determined to achieve their goals, but, for better or worse, their actions begin to dismantle the framework and foundations of the autokracy itself.

Emily A. Weedon

… is a debut author, but is an award-winning screenwriter. She co-wrote, co-created, and co-produced the web series Chateau Laurier. She and co-writer Kent Staines were awarded Best Writing in a Web Series at the Canadian Screen Awards in 2023. She is also a graphic designer, musician, set painter, and artist. She played music professionally and has released 3 EPs.

Autokrator comes out April 13, 2024. It’s available for pre-order form Indigo / Chapters here.

Note: For information about submitting to Cormorant Books, see here.

You can now get new postings on Quick Brown Fox delivered straight to your Inbox as I publish them. Subscribe to the new Quick Brown Fox page on Substack here: https://brian999.substack.com/

See my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here. ~Brian

Navigation tips: Buttons at the top of the page underneath the banner will lead you to different pages and distinct collections of postings. For example, there’s a button to take you to postings about Literary Agents. In the righthand column near the top of the page, there are further categories you can click on; for example, a link to postings about Canadian Literary Agents.

But also, check out the Labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to various distinct collections of postings. See more new books by your fellow authors here {and scroll down}, and see where people are getting short pieces published, winning contests, finding agents, landing book contracts, and so forth here {and scroll down}.

Canadian literary agency Transatlantic has four agents looking for your manuscripts

Transatlantic Agency

2 Bloor Street East
Suite 3500
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

https://www.transatlanticagency.com/

Note: You can now get new postings on Quick Brown Fox delivered straight to your Inbox as I publish them. Subscribe to the new Quick Brown Fox page on Substack here:  https://brian999.substack.com/

You can also get an email about twice a month about what’s coming up in terms of writing classes, workshops, and retreats, plus providing links to the other material on the Quick Brown Fox blog. For that, add your name and email in the Sign-Up box in the righthand column. ~Brian 

Transatlantic Agency is a leading literary management company with a team of 20 experienced agents based in cities across North America. They offer a full spectrum of career representation to authors (Adult, Children’s & YA, and illustrators) and storytellers (Speakers, Industry leaders & Influencers) across all genres and formats for book, content development, speaking and TV & Film.

Transatlantic represents more than 700 American, Canadian and internationally bestselling and award-winning clients, writing commercial and literary fiction and nonfiction, graphic novels, and picture books.

Books by Transatlantic’s clients regularly appear on notable bestseller lists across North America and have won major awards such as the Newbery Medal (U.S.), the Giller Prize (Canada), Michael L. Printz Honor Book (U.S.), and the Governor General’s Award for both adult and children’s literature (Canada).

Four of their agents are open to queries:

Jane Chun joined Transatlantic in 2023 after four years at Janklow & Nesbit Associates. Prior to her time at J&N, she worked on a freelance project for HG Literary and interned at Writers House and Maximum Films & Management.

Before entering the publishing world, Jane attended NYU where she majored in History and minored in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology; Creative Writing; and Spanish. She returned to NYU shortly after graduation and a brief stint at Asian CineVision and the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to receive her M.S. in Publishing with distinction. She is a native New Yorker.

Jane is particularly interested in stories that center marginalized communities and prose that is cinematic and atmospheric with good rhythm. In both fiction and nonfiction, she is drawn towards compelling, fresh voices that make her feel as though the writer is in the room with her, telling her their story with intimacy as if they were already acquainted. Regardless of how plot-driven a story is, characters with rich inner worlds and emotional depth are a must for her.

For fiction, Jane is seeking commercial, upmarket, and literary works in adult, middle grade, and young adult about the search for and rebuilding of identity, diaspora, family and community, and examinations of power in relationships.

She is also looking for fantasy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction that delve into sharp social commentary and have meticulous world building and settings that don’t feel like Western Europe.

For historical fiction, she likes hidden histories and anything that is set in a time or place she’s not familiar with or focuses on a community that has been often overlooked if it’s a time/place she knows.

For nonfiction, Jane is looking for memoirs and narrative nonfiction with a nuanced, intersectional approach and similar themes to her interests in fiction. She also is interested in books about food, travel, pop culture, and cultural criticism that dive deeply and thoughtfully into culture and traditions, particularly those written by authors of color.

In addition to traditional prose, she is very interested in graphic novels and graphic nonfiction. She is looking for stylistically engaging, unique art that feels either nostalgic without being derivative or fresh and boundary-pushing.

At the moment, she is open to picture books only by referral.

She is not the right person for prescriptive nonfiction, self-help, religion/spirituality books, romance, commercial thrillers, hard sci-fi, poetry, or short story collections. Best send those to someone else.

Query Jane through her Query Manager here.

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If you’re interested in meeting an agent and in getting published, check out our upcoming “How to Get Published” workshops. Details here.

***

Pieter Swinkels is Transatlantic’s Director of Operations and a Literary Agent. He represents literary fiction and nonfiction authors, plus corporate publishing clients from around the world. 

Pieter started his literary publishing career at the premiere Dutch publishing houses De Bezige Bij and Meulenhoff Publishers in Amsterdam, where he published bestselling and critically-acclaimed authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Robert Harris and Karin Slaughter.

Before joining Transatlantic Agency, Pieter worked as Chief Content Officer at Rakuten Kobo, leading Kobo’s global publisher relations, the self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life, the Kobo Originals publishing program, and the launch of Audiobooks and Kobo Plus subscriptions. 

Pieter holds a Cum Laude MA degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Amsterdam, and a MPhil in Irish Literature from Trinity College Dublin. He lives and works in Toronto.

Query Pieter at: querypieter@transatlanticagency.com

Include a sample or excerpt in the body of the email, maximum 20 pages. Embed the sample/excerpt into the body of the email after the cover letter. Plus an author bio or publishing history and a synopsis. Please note if other agents are also considering the project and do not submit to Pieter if you have already submitted to another Transatlantic Agent.

Carolyn Forde was a literary agent and International Rights Director at Westwood Creative Artists for 14 years before joining Transatlantic.

For the last decade Carolyn has traveled to both the London Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair and New York regularly, and she continues to do so in her new role at Transatlantic. Carolyn has lived and worked in Japan, Mexico and the Czech Republic and is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK.

Carolyn would love to see literary fiction (especially speculative and horror), commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction by experts in the field and is open minded to a broad range of topics and styles – as long as it engages her.

There are a few things she’s not keen on: medical/disease related memoirs, police procedurals, climate thrillers, military or CIA fiction, cozy mysteries, books about film and tv behind the scenes, and fantasy. Don’t send her any of these.

Query Carolyn at: querycarolyn@transatlanticagency.com

Include the first 20 pages within the body of your query – attachments will not be opened (double spaced and 12 pt font).

Samantha Haywood is President of the Transatlantic Agency. She has extensive experience selling authors in North America for publication and TV/film representation. She launched her client list with Transatlantic Agency in 2004 after working in the international rights departments of Random House of Canada and Westwood Creative Artists. 

Samantha represents a diverse and vibrant client list of novelists, memoirists, investigative journalists, graphic novelists, cookbook authors and thought leaders. Samantha represents international rights for the renown publisher, Drawn & Quarterly. She is also a founding member and former President of PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents.

Plurality of voices, stories and authors of all backgrounds are encouraged! Originality and diversity in her client list is the objective.

In fiction, Samantha is looking for literary fiction and upmarket commercial fiction of all types. Getting more specific, yes to: smart contemporary fiction, upmarket women’s fiction, upmarket escapist fiction, crossover/hybrid style novels, and sophisticated novels with speculative or horror elements with a genre slant.

Yes to literary thrillers and upmarket mystery. Witty, sharp, biting or satirical elements are also welcome, especially when it comes to socio-political issues including class and late-stage capitalism. Yes also to fiction which examines identity, gender/sexuality and/or racism through a unique lens. 

In nonfiction, Samantha prefers narrative nonfiction and big idea nonfiction, especially on culturally relevant topics such as feminism, environmentalism, Indigenous issues, societal inequities with forecasts for progress.

She represents some prescriptive, inspirational and motivational nonfiction, matched with expertise and a platform, and preferably with a personal story woven throughout. Yes also to investigative reportage; historical narratives handled in refreshing ways, true crime with societal implications and occasionally an outstanding memoir (must be truly original or well-known subjects).

Essentially, she’s looking for a strong narrative drive and distinctive voice at all times.

Graphic Novels (fiction/non-fiction): Preferably full-length graphic novels with author and illustrator as one creator, or already teamed-up. Graphic novel memoirs, biographies, travel narratives and other nonfiction graphica also welcome.

Query Samantha at: querysamantha@transatlanticagency.com

Authors are encouraged to email a cover letter with a sample/excerpt of the book in question. Please submit a maximum of 20 pages. Embed the sample/excerpt into the email after the cover letter. Graphic novel submissions may include an attachment. Please submit an author bio/publishing history and a synopsis. 

See Transatlantic’s submissions page here.

Don't miss out on our upcoming Early Spring Writing Retreat at Sherwood Inn, in Muskoka. Details here {and scroll down – because there's more than one retreat coming up}.

To grow as a writer, join a weekly creative writing class. Check out all upcoming courses here.

To reserve a spot or for more details about any course, workshop or retreat, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

Navigation tips: Always check out the Labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to various distinct collections of postings. If you're searching for a literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check out this post.  

Kudos to Denisha, Trina, Sheryl, and Corinne!

If you’ve had a story (or a book!) published, if you’ve won or placed in a writing contest, if you’ve gotten yourself an agent, or if you have any other news, send me an email so I can share your success. As writers, we’re all in this together, and your good news gives us all a boost. 

Also, be sure to let know if you're looking for a writers' group or beta readers; a notice in Quick Brown Fox, will help you find them. 

Email me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

 

Hi, Brian!

 I'm excited to finally share the news that my debut novel co-written with David Demchuk, The Butcher's Daughter, is going to be part of Hell's Hundred, the new horror imprint by Soho Press!

And we get mentioned in a splash bout the new imprint in Publishers Weekly here.

All the best,

Corinne Leigh Clark

Note: The Butcher's Daughter is scheduled to come out in the spring of 2025. I'm looking forward to reading it! ~Brian

If you’re interested in getting published, join us at an upcoming “How to Get Published” workshop with a literary agent as our guest speaker. See here.

 

Hi, Brian.

Just wanted to share my fantastic news with you. I've just signed a contract with Cormorant Books for my YA novel Red Flags & Butterflies, expected to be published in May 2025. 

I took a few of your classes between 2018–2020, and a few online classes during COVID. I also attended the Algonquin Retreat in July 2020 (the first wave of “openings” post COVID).

At the time, I’d written bits and pieces of the novel, and I knew the story I wanted to tell, but was struggling with how to tell it. I was trying to write about a teen girl who was struggling to find herself, not realizing that her struggles were due to the fact that she had been, and still was, being emotionally and psychologically abused by her father.

At the retreat, you pointed out that the father in the story was “too awful” and suggested the story needed to focus more on my protagonist’s day to day life, and her relationships with her family, friends and boyfriend, and show how her life was impacted by the insidious abuse, rather than focus on her father and his abuse. You also told me that what I was trying to do was going to be “very, very difficult.”

Your advice turned things around for me, and as re-worked the story, your voice was a constant in my head, and I owe you a huge thank you. You weren’t wrong though: it was very difficult to tell the story about a girl suffering abuse, when she herself was naïve to the fact that she was being abused.

Thanks again for your help and advice :)

Sheryl Azzam

Note: we have three writing retreats coming up: Early spring at Sherwood Inn, in Muskoka (see here), then two at Arowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park, in June (see here) and in September (see here).

For information about submitting to Cormorant Books, see here.

 

Hi, Brian.

It's been a few years since I've been to one of your wonderful workshops but I wanted to reach out and let you know that I have written and published a book. Your classes were the first ones I took when I got back to writing and because of you I advanced with my craft, learned about the business and found out that this dream was possible. 

Thank you for everything you do to support the writing community. You make such a difference in people's lives. 

Trina Brooks

www.trinabrooks.com

Read about Trina’s novel, The Barren Hills of Creighton here.

 

Hi, Brian.

My poem, “It Spreads,” was accepted into Prairie Fire’s Burning Up/Burning Down Issue for spring 2024. They have rights of publication for the 3-month cycle of the issue.

 Thanks in advance for you help and support.

Denisha Naidoo

I look forward to publishing “It Spreads” in Quick Brown Fox, once Prairie Fire’s exclusive rights expire. 😊 ~Brian

For information about submitting to Prairie Fire (and half-a-dozen other places) see here.

***

See Brian Henry’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

Note: You can now get new postings on Quick Brown Fox delivered straight to your Inbox as I publish them. Subscribe to the new Quick Brown Fox page on Substack here:  https://brian999.substack.com/

You can also get an email about twice a month about what’s coming up in terms of writing classes, workshops, and retreats, plus providing links to the other material on the Quick Brown Fox blog. For that, add your name and email in the Sign-Up box at the top of the righthand column. ~Brian