The Canadian Jewish Literary Awards (in partnership with the Miles Nadal JCC) invites you to submit any books in English, French or Yiddish, on a Jewish theme or topic. The Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of the winning authors with significant cash prizes and public recognition.
We accept books published between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. The deadline for submissions is June 2, 2026.
Eligibility
• Books written on subjects with Jewish themes or with significant Jewish content.
• Books written by Canadian citizens or permanent or former residents of Canada. The author can be Canadian by birth, by education or by residency and need not be Jewish.
• Books written in English, French or Yiddish
• Books published between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026
• Books with an ISBN, including eBooks.
• Books with Jewish content written by non-Jewish authors are welcome.
• Graphic books are eligible.
• Previously submitted titles, new translations (except from Yiddish) and reissues are not eligible.
Award Categories
Fiction: novels and short story collections with Jewish content.
Scholarship: books of original research for their publication that contribute to Jewish knowledge.
Biography/Memoir: biography, autobiography, personal memoir, or family history. The subject must have relevance to the Jewish experience.
The Irving Abella Award in History: non-fiction works about the Jewish historical experience.
Youth Literature: books and picture books on a Jewish theme for children or young adults.
Poetry: books of verse including significant Jewish content.
Holocaust Remembrance: books concerning the Holocaust, including autobiographies, memoirs, academic studies, history and fiction.
Jewish Thought & Culture: non-fiction works illuminating Jewish thinking, culture, and the Jewish experience.
Yiddish: books in Yiddish or about Yiddish culture; translations from Yiddish (fiction or non-fiction) also considered.
The Irving Abella Award in History is named in memory of historian Irving Abella, who left an indelible imprint on Canadian Jewish studies. The award is generously supported by the friends of this giant of scholarship.
The Jury may choose award categories at its discretion and may elect to forgo awarding a prize in any category if it determines that there is no prize-worthy publication in that category in a given year. How to Submit
• We accept books published between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026
• Submissions should be received by June 2, 2026.
• Five physical copies of each book plus an ebook uploaded through the submission form.
• A completed submission form.
• There is a $50 entry fee per title submitted. The submission form includes online payment via PayPal.
• Send books to
The Canadian Jewish Literary Awards
Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies
University of Toronto
Jackman Humanities Building, Room 218,
170 St. George Street
Toronto, ON
M5R 2M8
• The fee can be paid online through the online submission form
The Canadian Jewish Literary Awards is an independent entity. We thank the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto for its support and for providing the infrastructure to allow us to administer the Awards.
The awards will be presented at a gala ceremony at
Miles Nadal JCC, Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina Ave, Toronto
on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Please visit the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards YouTube Channel to see how last year’s event unfolded and to experience the participation of the Award recipients..
We look forward to reading and considering all submissions.
Online Submission Form and Pay Fee
With the support of: The Miles Nadal JCC, Anne Tannenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies (University of Toronto)
