A Complete History of all Previous Winners of The Fiddlehead's Contests:
34 – 2024
$2000 for Creative Nonfiction winner; $2000 for Fiction winner; $2000 for Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem. $35 entry fee.
Creative Nonfiction Winner: Nancy Huggett, “I am a good mother, I am a bad mother, I am no mother at all”
Published in No. 301 (Autumn 2024)
Fiction Winner: Luanne Gauvreau, “Roses for Bodies”
Published in No. 302 (Winter 2025)
Poetry Winner: Nancy Holmes, "My Mother's Hair"
Published in No. 303 (Spring 2025)
33 – 2023
$2000 for Creative Nonfiction winner; $2000 for Fiction winner; $2000 for Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem. $35 entry fee.
Creative Nonfiction Winner: Anne Marie Todkill, “Storm Damage”
Published in No. 297 (Autumn 2023)
Fiction Winner: Melissa DaCosta Brown, “Husbands”
Published in No. 298 (Winter 2024)
Poetry Winner: Jaeyun Yoo, “have you seen my father”
Published in No. 299 (Spring 2024)
32 – 2022
$2000 for Creative Nonfiction winner; $2000 for Fiction winner; $2000 for Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem. $35 entry fee.
Creative Nonfiction Winner: Jenny Hwang, “Silkworms”
Published in No. 293 (Autumn 2022)
Fiction Winner: Adèle Barclay, “Here Be Dragons ISO”
Published in No. 294 (Winter 2023)
Poetry Winter: Moni Brar, “Dispossession in Five Acts [or How to Be a Model Minority or Not]”
Published in No. 295 (Spring 2023)
31 – 2021
$2000 for Creative Nonfiction winner; $2000 for Fiction winner; $2000 for Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem. $35 entry fee.
Creative Nonfiction Winner: K Ho, “Dispatches”
Published in No. 289 (Autumn 2021)
Fiction Winner: Anne Marie Todkill, “The Makeweight Piece”
Published in No. 291 (Spring 2022)
Note: not published in Winter because No. 290 was a special issue dedicated to BIPOC authors.
Poetry Winner: Marco Melfi, “The Faulty Porch Light”
Published in No. 291 (Spring 2022)
30 – 2020
$2000 for Creative Nonfiction winner; $2000 for Fiction winner; $2000 for Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem. $30 entry fee.
Creative Nonfiction Winner: Morgan Charles, “Plagued”
Published in No. 285 (Autumn 2020)
Fiction Winner: Elise Thorburn, “Rubens’ Salmon”
Published in No. 286 (Winter 2021)
Poetry Winner: Emma Miao, “Rabbits on the Balcony”
Published in No. 287 (Spring 2021)
29 – 2019
Note: The annual contests were restructured for 2019. The Creative Nonfiction contest was introduced, opening yearly on March 1 with a deadline of June 1 (to be published in Fall), the Fiction contest opens on June 1 and closes on September 1 (to be published in Winter), and the Poetry contest opens on September 1 and closes on December 1 (to be published in Spring). The honourable mention prizes were eliminated and each prize was set at $2000.
$2000 for Creative Nonfiction winner; $2000 for Fiction winner; $2000 for Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem. $30 entry fee.
Creative Nonfiction Winner: Dafna Izenberg, “The Promised Language”
Published in No. 281 (Autumn 2019)
Fiction Winner: Emily Bossé, “The Most Beautiful Woman in New Brunswick: Coming To A Field Near You”
Published in No. 282 (Winter 2020)
Poetry Winner: Conor Kerr, “Amiskwaciy Nehiyawak (Beaver Hills Cree)”
Published in No. 283 (Spring 2020)
28 – 2018
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $250 each for two runners-up; $2000 for the best story, $250 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Kim Trainor, “Paper Birch”
Honourable Mentions: Nolan Natasha, “Wingspan”; Alycia Pirmohamed, “Avian Circulatory System”
Fiction Winner: Ahmad Danny Ramadan, “My Name is Bridge”
Honourable Mentions: Michael Maitland, “The Rabbit”; Jacqueline Mastin, “Telling Lives”
Published in No. 279 (Spring 2019)
27 – 2017
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $250 each for two runners-up; $2000 for the best story, $250 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Matthew Hollett, “The Day After the Best Before”
Honourable Mentions: Conyer Clayton, “Recurrent”; Conor Mc Donnell, “Qui vincit? (medicamina)”
Fiction Winner: Kate Osana Simonian. “The Press”
Honourable Mentions: Samantha Jade MacPherson, “The Fish and the Dragons”; Kate Timmers, “The Wet Nurse Late of the House of Karenin”
Published in No. 275 (Spring 2018)
26 – 2016
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $250 each for two runners-up; $2000 for the best story, $250 each for two runners-up. $30/entry.
Poetry Winner: Domnique Bernier-Cormier, “Fabric”
Honourable Mentions: Tammy Armstrong, “Blessing the Boats”; Kim Trainor, “Bluegrass”
Fiction Winner: Kate Finegan, “Blues Too Bright”
Honourable Mentions: Steven Benstead, “Will There Be Clowns?”; Ann Cavlovic, “The Foundation”
Published in No. 271 (Spring 2017)
25 – 2015
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $250 each for two runners-up; $2000 for the best story, $250 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Michael Eden Reynolds, “False Dichotomy or Monocot”
Honourable Mention: Alison Goodwin, “Consumed”
Fiction Winner: Brent van Staalduinen, “Skinks”
Honourable Mentions: Sarah L. Taggart, “The Way It Is In A Place Like This”; Cathy Kozak, “Dirty Girls of Paradise”
Published in No. 267 (Spring 2016)
24 – 2014
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $250 each for two runners-up; $2000 for the best story, $250 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Sean Howard, “Cases (Unbound Poems, from Nova Scotia Reports)”
Honourable Mentions: Michael Prior, “The Hinny”; Julie Cameron Gray, “Skinbyrds”
Fiction Winner: Lisa Alward, “Cocktail”
Honourable Mentions: David McLaren, “[nar-uh-gan-sits] a Rhode Island Thanksgiving”; Kari Lund-Teigan, “Something Like Joy”
Published in No. 263 (Spring 2015)
23 – 2013
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $250 each for two runners-up; $2000 for the best story, $250 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Kayla Czaga, “That Great Burgundy-Unholstered Beacon of Dependability”
Honourable Mentions: Kyeren Regehr, “Dorm Room 214”; Maureen Hynes, “Stone Sonnet”
Fiction Winner: Myler Wilkinson, “The Blood of Slaves”
Honourable Mentions: Jill Widner, “When Stars Fell Like Salt Before the Revolution”; Wayde Compton, “The Front: A Selected Reverse-Chronological Annotated Bibliography of the Vancouver Art Movement Known as ‘Rentalism,’ 2011-1984”
Published in No. 259 (Spring 2014)
22 – 2012
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $250 each for two runners-up; $2000 for the best story, $250 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Kim Trainor, “Cradle Song: Six Variations”
Honourable Mentions: Sue Chenette, “Inscription”; Samantha Bernstein, “Eulogy for Finn”
Fiction Winner: Rhonda Collis. “The Halter”
Honourable Mentions: Jennifer Manuel, “Silent E”; Vin Fielding, “All Bones Recovered”
Published in No. 255 (Spring 2013)
21 – 2011
$1500 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $500 each for two runners-up; $1500 for the best story, $500 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Jim Johnstone, “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”
Honourable Mentions: Michael Londry, “Before my Nephew Hiked”; Michael Quilty, “Leaving the Gym”
Fiction Winner: Cody Klippenstein, “We’ve Gotta Get out of Here”
Honourable Mentions: Valerie Spencer, “The Amaretto”; Kevin A. Couture, “How to Rescue a Bear Cub”
Published in No. 251 (Spring 2012)
20 – 2010
$2010 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $500 each for two runners-up; $2010 for the best story, $500 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Susan Steudel, “Of Pursuits”
Honourable Mentions: Charmaine Cadeau, “Attendant Spirits”; Catherine Owen, “At the Edge of Lake Simcoe”
Fiction Winner: Will Johnson, “Sea to Sky”
Honourable Mentions: Tim Bowling, “The Living”; Sandra Jensen, “Mihalis and the Mermaid”
Published in No. 247 (Spring 2011)
19 – 2009
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $500 each for two runners-up; $1000 for the best story, $500 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Jeff Steudel, “Possum”
Honourable Mentions: Kim Trainor, “Littoral”; Heidi Garnett, “I Dreamt I Died in Dubrovnik”
Fiction Winner: Eliza Robertson, “Worried Women’s Guide”
Honourable Mentions: Sara Heinonen, “Oh, Mary, May-Lee, Mandy”; Susi Lovell, “Waves”
Published in No. 243 (Spring 2010)
18 – 2008
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $500 each for two runners-up; $1000 for the best story, $500 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Russell Thornton, “The Rain Bush”
Honourable Mentions: Colleen Sanders, “Emergence”; Patricia Young, “Sign of the Times”
Fiction Winner: Laura Trunkey, “Healing Touch”
Honourable Mentions: Kirsten Donaghey, “What You’ve Been Missing”; Ryan Frawley, “Linares del Arroyo”
Published in No. No. 239 (Spring 2009)
17 – 2007
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $500 each for two runners-up; $1000 for the best story, $500 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Jamella Hagen, “Leaving the North”
Honourable Mentions: Shane Neilson, “Winning is the only thing”; Susan Steudel, “Almanac”
Fiction Winner: Maureen Bilerman, “Geographic Tongue”
Honourable Mentions: Richard Simas, “Ivo’s Border”; Lesley Buxton, “Blind Spot”
Published in No. 235 (Spring 2008)
16 – 2006
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $500 each for two runners-up; $1000 for the best story, $500 each for two runners-up. $30 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Tim Bowling, “The Book Collector”
Honourable Mentions: John Reibetanz, “The Vineyard”; Carmine Starnino, “Squash Rackets”
Fiction Winner: Naomi K. Lewis, “The Guiding Light”
Honourable Mentions: Jane Finlayson, “Breathless”; Kathleen Brown, “National Redirect”
Published in No. 231 (Spring 2007)
15 – 2005
Note: themed contest: Anniversaries.
$2000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $2000 for the best story. $100 each for Honourable Mentions. $26 entry fee.
Poetry Winners: Judith Krause, “Birthday Portrait”; Jeanette Lynes, “The Tenth Anniversary of My Father’s Barn”
Honourable Mention: Ricardo Pau-Llosa, “Regina”
Fiction Winner: Grant Buday, “The Curve of the Earth”
Honourable Mention: Robert James Hicks, “Family Day”
Published in No. 227 (Spring 2006)
14 – 2004
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $1000 for the best story. Plus two $100 prizes for Honourable Mentions. $24 entry fee.
Poetry Winners: David Hickey, “Channel Markers”; Michael E. Reynolds, “Early Spring, Canoe Lake (1917)”
Honourable Mentions: Water Bruno, “Cat Walk”; Jeanette Lynes, “from The Journals of Beatrix Potter”
Fiction Winner: Michèle Adams, “Infinite Speed”
Honourable Mention: Nikolijne Troubetzkoy, “Stray Electricity”
Published in No. 223 (Spring 2005)
13 – 2003
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $1000 for the best story. Plus two $100 prizes for Honourable Mentions. $24 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Karen Solie, “The Vandal Confesses”
Honourable Mentions: Antony Di Nardo, “After the Fall”; Ruth Roach Pierson, “Forms of Rain”
Fiction Winner: Craig Davidson, “28 Bones”
Honourable Mention: Patricia Young, “Majorette”
Published in No. 219 (Spring 2004)
12 – 2002
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $1000 for the best story. Plus two $100 prizes for Honourable Mentions. $24 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Anita Lahey, “Out to Dry in Cape Breton”
Honourable Mentions: Nicholas Ruddock, “Squid”; Chris Jennings, “Cuchulain Still Fights with the Sea”
Fiction Winner: Gina Ochsner, “A Wish Before Dying”
Honourable Mentions: Dave McIntyre, “Whiteout”; Tony Antoniades, “The Squared Circle”; Patrick Francis, “The Personal Musings oof the Notorious Kevin Carrey”
Published in No. 215 (Spring 2003)
11 – 2001
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $1000 for the best story. Plus two $100 prizes for Honourable Mentions. $20 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Chris Weagle, “Bone Confessions”
Honourable Mentions: Karen Solie, “Science and the Single Girl”; Aengus MacIntonish, “On Islands”
Fiction Winner: Rosaria Campbell, “Reaching”
Honourable Mentions: Patricia Young, “Pope of Rome”; Lesley Millard, “One Hundred Words for Pink”
Published in No. 211 (Spring 2002)
10 – 2000
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $1000 for the best story. $20 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: James Arthur, “Thanksgiving”
Honourable Mentions: M. Travis Lane, “Portobello”; Anne Simpson, “The Lilacs”
Fiction Winner: Kelly Cooper, “Judith River”
Honourable Mentions: Billie Livingston, “Thin-Skinned”; Patricia Young, “Lost Bees”
Published in No. 207 (Spring 2001)
9 – 1999
$1000 for Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize for Best Poem, $1000 for the best story. $20 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Eric Miller, “Untimeliness”
Honourable Mentions: Dorothy Trail Spiller, “OLD AGE comes with winter”; Marlene Cookshaw, “Niagara”
Fiction Winner: Madeleine Thien, “House”
Honourable Mentions: Richard Cumyn, “Give the Dull Boy a Chance”; J.A. McCormack, “Plural”
Published in No. 203 (Spring 2000)
Note: In his editorial, Ross Leckie notes, “It is a particular tribute to Eric Miller and Marlene Cookshaw that through different judges and different years their poems have emerged as either winners or honourable mentions for three years; however, we believe firmly that our contests celebrate the diversity of writing in Canada, so we will be asking that winners not resubmit to our contest for three years” (6).
8 – 1998
First awarding of the Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize, endowed by Betty Gustafson. $1000 for the best poem, $1000 for the best story. $20 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Marlene Cookshaw, “Kouros”
Honourable Mentions: Eric Miller, “Eyes and Ice”; Anne Simpson, “Salamander”
Fiction Winner: Jane Finlayson, “Two Times Soup”
Honourable Mentions: Terence Young, “Dead”; Madeleine Thien, “Four Days from Oregon”; Larry Lynch, “Learning to Swim”
Published in No. 199 (Spring 1999)
7 – 1997
Note: themed contest: FiddleSEX: “Whether you think it’s the lowest common denominator, or the highest, you’ll at least agree it’s common, so we at the fecund Fern are confident you can contribute sexually, in poetry or fiction.”
$500 for best Story, $500 for best Poem. $18 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: E, Alex Pierce, “Shelter”
Honourable Mentions: Marlene Cookshaw, “The Same Words Over and Over”; Eric Miller, “Aphrodite’s Birds”; Russell Thornton, “The Vineyard”
Fiction Winner: Faith Jones, “Twelve Lectures and a Test”
Honourable Mention: Frances MacDonald, “Swifts”
Published in No. 195 (Spring 1998)
6 – 1996
Note: themed contest: National Sports (of all sorts).
$300 for best Poem, $300 for best Story. $18 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Chris Chambers, “God Save the Greatest Underwater Swimmers”
Honourable Mentions: Alayna Munce, “Penn Lake”; Mary Trafford, “Spring Soccer”
Fiction Winner: Michael Byrnes, “Hockey”
Honourable Mentions: Paola di Paolo, “Fish Condominium”; Tilya Helfield, “The Bicycle”
Published in No. 191 (Spring 1997)
5 – 1995
Note: themed contest: Dress Code: Poems and stories in which an item of clothing, or clothes generally, dress, play an important part.
$300 for best Poem, $300 for best Story. No prize or publication for honourable mentions (listed on back of No. 187). $18 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Terence Young, “Style”
Honourable Mentions: Deirdre Dwyer, Chris Wiesenthal
Fiction Winner: Julie Roorda, “The Proper Attire”
Honourable Mentions: Julie Crawford, J.M. Hull, Terrence Young
Published in No. 187 (Spring 1996)
4 – 1994
Note: themed contest: Anniversaries can be personal, communal, national or universal. They can be occasions for joy or sadness. They can hallow or haunt. They include birthdays and weddings, death-days and saint’s days, feasts or fasts. Help us celebrate our Fiftieth Anniversary!
$300 for best Poem, $300 for best Story, $100 each for runners-up. $16 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Anna Mioduchowska, “If We Are to Believe”
Honourable Mention: Sue Wheeler, “Pickling Beets, Anniversary of Oka,” “What We’re Looking For,” “Rain Starts and Stops”
Fiction Winner: Rick Maddocks, “Nora’s Theory of Relativity”
Honourable Mention: Maria Billion, “Thanksgiving”
Published in No. 183 (Spring 1995)
3 – 1993
Note: themed contest: Food for Thought
$300 for best Poem, $300 for best Story. $16/entry.
Poetry Winner: Roger Nash, “In the Kosher Chow Mein Restaurant”
Runner-ups: Susan Glickman, “from Hunger”; Su Croll, “Fruit of the Skin”; Evelyn Hanoski, “Madwoman at the Keg”
Fiction Winner: Hannah Landecker, “Granny and the Choko”
Published in No. 179 (Spring 1994)
2 – 1992
Note: themed contest: Writing Wilderness Contest, Better Homes and Gardens.
Prizes in honour of Fred Cogswell, $200 each for Poetry, Fiction, and Non-Fiction. $16 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: Kelly Jo Burke, “House Hunting/House Dreams”
Honourable Mentions: David J. Paul, “House Finches”; Bernadette Rule, “The Literate Thief” and “Landscape in Reflection”; Edith Van Beek, “Songbirds”
Fiction Winner: Kathryn Woodward, “Breeding True”
Honourable Mention: Sheila Longton, “Patches”
Published in No. 175 (Spring 1993)
Note: Don McKay’s editorial in No. 175: “[W]e’re… dropping the non-fiction category, which hasn’t proven to be popular.” Also “Recipes (Non-competitive) Fiddlehead recipes, old or invented, are encouraged. (Efforts will be made to circulate the recipes to all who submit.)”
1 – 1991
Note: themed contest: Writing Wilderness Contest announced on back of No. 167 (Spring 1991), “offering $200 each for the best original poem, story, and non-fiction piece.”
$16 entry fee.
Poetry Winner: James Aitchison, “Awakening the Trees: Patrick Napier in Canada 1882-1889”
Runner-up: David C. Carpenter, “Trout Stream Creed”
Honourable Mentions: Cory Brown, “Selections from A Seasonal Quality”; Brian Bartlett. “Alexander Wilson and the Ivorybill”; Tim Lilburn, “Tree Monk Sings To The Wilderness”; Heather Spears, “Orxas Island, sentimental morning”; Diana Kiesners, “The last ice age”
Fiction Winner: Bryan Young, “A Dark Night”
Runner-up: John Steffler, “from The Afterlife of George Cartwright Chapter 11”
Honourable Mentions: Stephanie Halldorson, “Wilderness”; Brent White, “The Lake”
Non-Fiction Winners: Martin Murie, “Walking Out of Wilderness”; Peri McQuay, “On a Morning So Beautiful It Makes a Mockery of Fear”
Honourable Mentions: Brigid Grant, “Vegetables and Cats Over 85 lbs., Net Wt.”
Published in No. 171 (Spring 1992) as “1991 Winners of Fred Cogswell Awards”
