Canadian writer and poet Canisia Lubrin has been awarded the 2025 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, a prestigious literary honor recognizing women and nonbinary authors in the U.S. and Canada.
Lubrin received the $150,000 prize for her powerful debut fiction work, Code Noir—a collection of 59 short stories inspired by the 17th-century “Black Code” enacted under France’s Louis XIV to regulate slavery in French colonies.
Lubrin, known for her lyrical and political poetry, now expands her literary acclaim into fiction with Code Noir. The judges hailed her prose as “polyphonic,” stating:
“The stories invite you to immerse yourself in both the real and the speculative, in the intimate and in sweeping moments of history. Riffing on the Napoleonic decree, Lubrin retunes the legacies of slavery, colonialism and violence.”
The Carol Shields Prize, named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Stone Diaries, is a relatively new but impactful award in the North American literary landscape.
It recognises literary excellence and offers the largest monetary award for fiction writing by women and nonbinary authors in North America. In addition to the $150,000 cash prize, Lubrin will enjoy a five-night writer’s residency on Fogo Island—a retreat known for its support of artists.
Lubrin triumphed over an impressive shortlist of finalists, including:
- Dominique Fortier for Pale Shadows, translated by Rhonda Mullins
- Miranda July for All Fours
- Sarah Manguso for Liars
- Aube Rey Lescure for River East, River West
The prize’s substantial value highlights the need for greater literary visibility and economic support for underrepresented voices in publishing. For context, the National Book Award grants $10,000 to winners, while the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction awards $15,000.
Lubrin, whose poetry collections like The Dyzgraphxst have already garnered critical acclaim, continues to shape the literary world with work that confronts and reimagines histories of oppression, identity, and cultural memory.
