New Contribution Literary Award

Who is eligible for this award?

The award is open to allophone professional literary writers who are first- or second-generation immigrants.

What are the program’s objectives?

This award is designed to:

• celebrate new literary voices from immigrant communities in Montréal
• provide tangible support to the recipient
• raise public awareness about cultural diversity in literature

What is the value of the award?

The New Contribution Award is $5,000 and includes promotional activities organized by Métropolis Bleu. An additional $500 will be paid to the publisher of the winning work, in recognition of its participation in the Award.

What do the partners contribute?

The Conseil des arts de Montréal is proud to partner with Blue Metropolis for this annual award.

What are the general eligibility criteria?

• Must reside on the Island of Montréal
• Must be a professional artist, as defined by the Conseil

Are there any special eligibility criteria?

Must be an allophone first- or second-generation immigrant author

What types of projects are eligible?

The New Contribution Literary Award recognizes a work by an emerging author who may not have published more than three titles, including the submitted work, to be eligible. The submitted work must have been published in Quebec, in French or English (translated or written in either language) by a professional publisher with a physical address. All literary genres are eligible.

When must the project be carried out?

The work must have been published betwen December 1, 2023, and December 1, 2024 (final versions of unpublished works accepted).

Who is not allowed to apply?

Applicants

Artists who do not meet the general and specific eligibility requirements are not eligible.

Projects

Self-published works or works published in a digital format only are not eligible.

How do I submit an application?

To apply, the publisher must mail four copies of the work to the following address by September 30, 2024:

Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival
C/O Marie-Andrée Lamontagne, Director General, Programming and Communications
661 Rose-de-Lima Street, Suite 204
Montréal, QC
H4C 2L7

How are applications evaluated?

A jury determines the recipient of the award.

What are the evaluation criteria?

The literary quality of the work

• Originality and relevance of the subject (or theme)
• Originality and uniqueness of style
• Coherence of the work
• Contribution to literature

How is the grant paid?

Metropolis Bleu will pay the $5,000 award on behalf of the Conseil des arts de Montréal in a single instalment following the announcement of the recipient.