Reading and Discussion: Celebrating the 2026 Carol Shields Prize Shortlist

Join The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for a great night out at Lula Lounge honoring the five remarkable books shortlisted for the 2026 Prize with a reading and conversation.

The shortlist will be revealed on April 21. Check out the longlist here: https://carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/2026-longlist

Doors at 6 pm, the presentation starts at 7 pm. Please arrive at 6pm if you would like to purchase your dinner from the Latin-American inspired menu at Lula Lounge, full of fresh tropical flavours and options for vegetarians and vegans as well as meat-eaters.

The event will feature readings and a conversation.

There will be books for sale, and a signing will take place after the presentation. And stay until 9pm to enjoy food and drink purchased from the menu.

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Tickets are for general admission. After purchasing tickets, guests can make a table reservation, which guarantees seating, via OpenTable, lula.ca/reservations, or by calling the Lula Lounge directly at 416-588-0307.

Lula’s tropical fusion drinks and food menu will be available before and during the presentation for purchase.

Explore the Lula Lounge menu: lula.ca/menu

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The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is the first major English-language literary award to celebrate creativity and excellence in fiction by women and non-binary writers in Canada and the United States. Named after beloved Canadian-American author Carol Shields, the Prize is managed by the Carol Shields Prize Foundation. The Foundation provides scholarships, bursaries, and other forms of financial assistance to women and non-binary writers, and offers mentoring programs, salons, and residencies for the benefit of these writers and the general public. The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction—co-founded by author Susan Swan, editor Janice Zawerbny, and arts activist Don Oravec—was founded in 2012, and presented its inaugural award in 2023.

Carol Shields was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1935, and moved to Canada in 1957 after her marriage. She was the author of more than twenty books, including novels, plays, poetry, essays, criticism, short fiction, and biography. Her books were nominated, and won, numerous international prizes. Most notably, her novel The Stone Diaries won the Governor General's Literary Award (Canada), the Pulitzer Prize (U.S.), and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize (UK).

The Carol Shields Prize Foundation is thankful to the Toronto Arts Council for its support of this event with funds provided by the City of Toronto.

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Host or Publisher Carol Shields Prize for Fiction