Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize
For defenders of writers in peril.
The Marie-Ange Garrigue 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. Past recipients include journalists, paralegals, and human rights activists.
Introduced in 2022 and valued at $3,000, the award is named in memory of Mary-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 writers in peril.
Who may I nominate?
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. The help rendered may have been given through personal action, direct aid, advocacy, mobilization of help, funding, or via intervention with governments or third parties.
Nominations are currently closed, and will reopen in early 2026.
Journalists for Human Rights is a media development organization which mobilizes media to spread human rights awareness. Robina Aryubwal is a program delivery specialist and women’s rights activist. She worked with JHR as a program coordinator specializing in support and advocacy for Afghan refugees.
Together, the two were jointly awarded the Marie-Ange Garrieu Prize for having relocated, referred and resettled more than 500 at-risk journalists, human rights defenders, fixers, interpreters, educators and their families from Afghanistan.
Jury Citation
Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) is a Canadian media development organization that trains and empowers journalists in Canada and around the globe to report on human rights issues in their local communities. Given the urgent situation for local journalists in the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, JHR initiated an urgent evacuation effort that has thus far led to the evacuation, relocation, and resettlement of over 500 at-risk journalists, many of them to Canada. Critical to this effort was Robina Aryubwal, a current women’s rights activist, and former Afghan refugee herself. While working with JHR, Robina was a lifeline for the journalists and families being assisted by JHR. Robina was in constant communication with those in exile, supporting them in innumerable ways, including with securing documentation, counseling, safe houses, and sometimes just providing a comforting ear. Robina’s compassionate efforts have been recognized and personally thanked by many Afghan journalists now residing in Canada and other safe countries.
Joan Leishman, recently-retired CBC veteran journalist and longtime advocate for refugee writers, was awarded PEN Canada’s 2023 Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize.
In addition to her accomplished work as a journalist, Leishman has for over a decade supported refugee writers, as a volunteer at Romero House, a charitable organization offering transitional housing and immigration and settlement support to newly-arrived refugee claimants in Toronto, which includes members of PEN Canada Writers-in-Exile group. For both organizations she opened her home for many years to give shelter to refugees.
Mariam Al Zier is a Palestinian-Jordanian-Canadian who is a licensed paralegal and immigration consultant.
Jury Citation
During the last two years, Mariam dedicated hundreds of hours of her time to helping an exiled Iranian journalist navigate the complexities of the Canadian immigration system. She translated, interpreted, supported and encouraged, all while balancing her own family and work responsibilities. That she did so without expectation of reward or recognition seemed to us all the more reason why she should be recognized for her valuable work.