Do you know a Canadian who has helped a foreign imperilled writer?
This prize is awarded annually to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who in the past year has provided significant help to a writer or journalist outside Canada who has faced threats, violence, harassment, or imprisonment for reporting or commenting on issues of public interest. The winning nominee will receive a $2,000 CAD cash prize.
The prize honours the memory of Marie-Ange Garrigue, a citizen of Canada and France, who practiced law in Canada for many years and died in France in January 2022. She had a deep commitment to independent opinion fearlessly expressed. This is the second PEN prize funded by Cynthia Wine and Philip Slayton in support of defenders of freedom of expression.
Nominees may be anyone, including an organization, who has demonstrably rendered assistance, through personal action, direct aid, advocacy, mobilization of help, funding, or via intervention with governments or third parties.
Eligibility
Nominees for this prize may be any individual Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or any Canadian organization, who has provided significant help to a writer or journalist outside Canada facing threats, violence, harassment or imprisonment for reporting or commenting on issues of public interest.
Nomination Guidelines
Nominations for this year’s award will be open to the public until midnight on August 31, 2023. All are invited to suggest a name or names of a person or organization that fit the award criteria.
Please include a brief biography of the nominee (or a link to one online), and a description of what the nominee has done to aid the identified writer or journalist outside Canada. Nominations must include specific examples of actions that the nominee has taken on behalf of such a writer or journalist, with supporting details and links. Details of the circumstances faced by the journalist or writer and their experience of abuse for speaking out on matters of public interest must also be included.
The award will be presented at the 2023 Toronto International Festival of Authors in September.
INAUGURAL 2022 WINNER: Mariam Al Zier
Please complete and submit the nomination form below:
