Queer authors among five writers shortlisted for CBC Short Story Prize

Queer authors Jane Eaton Hamilton and Annie Reid are among five English-language finalists for the 2014 CBC Short Story Prize, the broadcaster announced in a March 10 press release.

Their stories were chosen from among more than 3,200 submissions the CBC’s Canada Writes competition received from around the country.

Hamilton, who lives in Vancouver, is shortlisted for “Smiley,” a story about a child coming to terms with gender issues and their impact on his life and his family.

Hamilton, the author of seven books and a two-time winner of the Prism International short fiction competition, has won the Short Story Prize before, taking home the award in 2003 with “The Lost Boy,” about the internment in BC.

In the same year, Hamilton, along with her then-partner Joy Masuhara, was also prominent in a landmark human rights case in BC, joining two other couples in successfully suing for same-sex marriage rights in the province.

Reid, a professional video-game writer who also lives in Vancouver and who writes both long- and short-form fiction, was selected for “Longshot,” which she has described as a piece about taking chances and the risk involved in not taking them.

The other three finalists are Kelowna, BC’s Alix Hawley, for “Jumbo”; Toronto, Ontario’s Laura Legge, for “Tukisiviit?”; and Waterloo, Ontario’s Trent Lewin, for “Saad Steps Out.”

The public can read the finalists’ stories from March 10 to 18 on the Canada Writes website and vote for their favourite.

The winner, who will receive $6,000, and the four runners-up, who will be awarded $1,000 each, are to be announced March 14.