Deadline for Nominations: August 7, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET
The Quebec Writers’ Federation is now accepting written nominations from members of the community for the 2026 Judy Mappin Community Award.
The award is given to a member of the extended literary community who has made a significant and longstanding contribution to the development and/or dissemination of English-language literature in Quebec. The award includes a cash prize of $1,000.
The Judy Mappin Community Award is named for the first recipient of the QWF Community Award in 1995, who quietly but fiercely promoted generations of Canadian writers in her long career as a bookseller at The Double Hook bookstore in Westmount, Quebec.
If you wish to nominate someone and are uncertain as to whether they are eligible, please contact Lori Schubert at admin@qwf.org.
Criteria for Nomination
- Proposed nominees must have made their contributions to the community for a period of ten years or more. (Provide evidence of the duration of your nominee’s contribution.)
- Nominees must be living at the time of their nomination, must not have previously won this award, and must not be board members, staff members, or major donors (contributions of $5,000 or more, named or anonymous) in the year of their nomination.
- The work of the nominee must have furthered English-language literature in Quebec. (Describe how your nominee’s work has contributed towards the development and/or dissemination of that literature.)
- The nominee’s work must have been unique and/or of long-lasting value to the community.
- Nominees who are in the business of publishing, promoting, or teaching literature must have gone beyond the boundaries of their job description to enrich the English-language literary community.
How to Submit a Nomination
To nominate someone, please complete the Submission form on Submittable by Friday, August 7, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET.
Your submission must include a Word or PDF file containing a 500- to 750-word nomination letter. In your letter, please include the following:
- Your name
- Your nominee’s name
- A description of the relevant activities undertaken by the nominee, corresponding to the criteria above
You may also include the nominee’s CV indicating the nominee’s activities over the course of their career. Please include the CV in the same file as your nomination letter. No other supplementary documents will be accepted, but your nomination letter may include multiple signatories.
Please note that decisions will be made based on the thoroughness and quality of the applications as well as the qualifications of the candidates.
QWF retains the right not to award the prize in a given year should no outstanding candidate be put forward. If a prize is awarded this year, it will be presented at the QWF Awards Gala on Monday, November 9, 2026.
Past Recipients:
- 1995: Judith Mappin, bookseller
- 1996: Bryan Demchinsky, journalist, book section editor at The Gazette
- 1997: Shelley Pomerance, arts broadcast journalist
- 1998: Simon Dardick and Nancy Marrelli, publishers, Véhicule Press
- 1999: Mireille Goulet, lawyer, advocate for writers’ rights
- 2000: Patricia Pleszczynska, CBC Radio deputy director of English programming
- 2001: Germain Lefevre, cultural advisor, visual arts and literature, Conseil des arts de Montréal
- 2002: Linda Shohet, director, Centre for Literacy of Quebec
- 2003: Linda Leith, writer, founder/artistic director of Blue Metropolis Foundation and Literary Festival
- 2004: Margaret Goldik and Ian McGillis, co-editors of the Montreal Review of Books
- 2005: Guy Rodgers, writer, executive director of the English-Language Arts Network
- 2006: Julie Keith, writer, past president of the Quebec Writers’ Federation
- 2007: André Vanasse, writer, publisher, XYZ Éditeur, activist for the writing community
- 2008: Mary Soderstrom, writer and advocate for the writing community
- 2009: Luci and Adrian King-Edwards, owners of The Word bookstore
- 2010: Ilona Martonfi, founder, producer and host of The Yellow Door Poetry and Prose Reading Series
- 2011: Endre Farkas, editor, publisher and long-time promoter of the English-language arts
- 2012: Steve Luxton, writer, publisher, editor, teacher and mentor
- 2013: No prize—honoured the “Founding Members of FEWQ, QSPELL, and QWF”
- 2014: Elizabeth Macdonnell, librarian at the Vega Branch of the Montreal Children’s Library
- 2015: Maya Munro Byers, owner of Babar Books and (formerly) Babar en Ville
- 2016: Rana Bose, author, playwright, poet and dramaturge, and moving force Montreal Sera
- 2017: Philip Lanthier, professor, editor, founder of Matrix magazine and the Knowlton Literary Festival
- 2018: Lynn Verge, executive director of the Atwater Library & Computer Centre
- 2019: Louis Rastelli, for his work championing underground publishing and dedicated service to Montreal’s independent writing community
- 2020: Jan Jorgensen, for her hard work, leadership, and longstanding personal commitment to community in all its forms
- 2021: Richard King, for dedicating almost 50 years of his life to serving readers, promoting books, and supporting the English-language writing community;
and
H. Nigel Thomas, for offering advice and opportunity to scores of students and writers, always with generosity, humility, and good humour - 2022: Ian Ferrier, for his lifelong commitment to leading, supporting, and inspiring writers and artists in Montreal and beyond
- 2023: Elise Moser, for her vast contributions and unwavering dedication to the literary arts in Quebec
- 2024: Christopher DiRaddo, for his enduring commitment to nurturing the literary arts and literary communities in Quebec
- 2025: Jan Draper, for her dedication to creating inclusive literary spaces and her commitment to nurturing new voices in the Eastern Townships and beyond
For more information: admin@qwf.org or 514-933-0878