The Ryerson Fiction Award, also known as the All-Canada Prize, was a Canadian literary award, presented irregularly between 1942 and 1960. Presented by Ryerson Press,"Ryerson Award Winner". The Gazette, March 13, 1954. the award was given to an unpublished manuscript by a new or emerging writer, which was then published by Ryerson Press,Brian Busby, "Anyone Care About the Ryerson Fiction Award?". The Dusty Bookcase, January 7, 2013. and the prize consisted of $1,000 of which $500 was an advance on royalties.
Although it was considered one of the major Canadian literary awards in its era, few of the winning novels remain well-remembered today. Only five titles which won the award ever went on to a subsequent paperback reprint, with Edward McCourt's Music at the Close the only title that was selected for McClelland & Stewart's New Canadian Library reprint series in the 1970s.
Statistics Two works, G. Herbert Sallans' Little Man and Philip Child's Mr. Ames Against Time, won both the Ryerson Fiction Prize and the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction in the same year; one other writer, Laura Salverson, won both awards for different works. Three writers — Child, Will R. Bird and Gladys Taylor — won the award twice, although both of Bird's wins and one of Child's were in ties with other writers.
Winners 1942 – G. Herbert Sallans, Little Man 1943 – no award 1944 – no award 1945 – (tie) Will R. Bird, Here Stays Good Yorkshire and Philip Child, Day of Wrath 1946 – no award 1947 – (tie) Edward McCourt, Music at the Close and Will R. Bird, Judgment Glen 1948 – no award 1949 – Philip Child, Mr. Ames Against Time 1950 – Jeann Beattie, Blaze of Noon 1951 – no award 1952 – no award 1953 – Evelyn M. Richardson, Desired Haven 1954 – Laura Salverson, Immortal Rock 1955 – no award 1956 – Gladys Taylor, Pine Roots 1957 – Joan Walker, Repent at Leisure"Joan Walker of Swastika Wins Fiction Award". Ottawa Journal, April 20, 1957. 1958 – Gladys Taylor, The King Tree 1959 – Arthur G. Storey, Prairie Harvest 1960 – E. M. Granger Bennett, Short of the Glory
References
External links