2025 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Now Open for Submissions 

Rakuten Kobo, in search of the best books written by debut Canadian authors, today announced it is accepting submissions for its 11th annual Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. With this prize, Kobo endeavors to raise the profiles of debut authors by recognizing exceptional books written by first-time Canadian authors in three categories: Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction (this year Romance; a different genre is showcased each year), and Nonfiction.

Each year, the winning titles are selected by three prominent authors. The 2025 prize judges are: Giller Prize winner Suzette Mayr, who will judge this year’s Literary Fiction category; Romance novelist Chantel Guertin, who will judge the Romance category; and journalist and editor Sarah Weinman, who will judge the Nonfiction category. The winning authors will be announced in June 2025 and awarded a $20,000 CAD cash prize, in addition to marketing and communications support throughout the remainder of the year.

"At Rakuten Kobo, there is no task more important than helping a new author find their readership, and the Emerging Writer Prize is how we help make that connection,” said Michael Tamblyn, CEO, Rakuten Kobo. “There has never been a more important time to ensure that Canadian stories are heard and celebrated. By shining a spotlight on debut authors, we elevate new voices and foster a rich and inclusive literary landscape for readers everywhere.”

Last year’s Emerging Writer Prize winners include:

Jamaluddin Aram for his Literary Fiction novel,  Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday, brilliantly kaleidoscopic, darkly funny, and wholly captivating novel about peace in a time of war; Jérémie Harris for Nonfiction for Quantum Physics Made Me Do It, an entertaining and accessible dive into the riveting world described by quantum mechanics; and Keziah Weir for Genre Fiction for The Mythmakers, a page-turner about the boundaries of creative work, memory, and identity.

Submissions are now open and will be accepted here until March 13, 2025 for debut books in the categories of Literary Fiction and Nonfiction published in 2024 by permanent residents of Canada, and debut Genre Fiction (Romance) published in the years 2022, 2023, or 2024 by permanent residents of Canada. All submitted books must be available at kobo.com.

Submissions can be made by publishers or directly by authors. Traditionally published and self-published books are eligible.

Nomination process and official rules: Publishers and authors (traditionally published and self-published) can submit debut Literary Fiction and Nonfiction books published in 2024, and debut Genre Fiction (Romance) books published in 2022, 2023, or 2024 here. We have changed the submission requirements for the Genre Fiction category (Romance) to consider all debut Romance books published since we last awarded a prize in this genre, which was in 2021.

Selection: In each category, a judge will select a winner from a shortlist created by Kobo booksellers, based on a combination of literary merit and reader engagement.

Get to know our 2025 judges below:

Suzette Mayr, Literary Fiction

Suzette Mayr is the author of six novels. Her most recent, The Sleeping Car Porter, won the 2022 Giller Prize, the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction, and the City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize. The novel was also a finalist for the 2023 Governor General’s Award for Fiction, and was shortlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award, the inaugural Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, and the 2023 Republic of Consciousness Prize (US and Canada). Mayr’s novel Monoceros won the 2012 ReLit Award and 2011 City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and was longlisted for the 2011 Giller Prize. A former President of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, Mayr presently teaches Creative Writing at the University of Calgary, is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Killam Laureate.

Chantel Guertin, Romance

Chantel Guertin is a bestselling author of five romantic comedies for adults and four novels for teens. Her most recent novels, including Instamom, Two for the Road, and It Happened One Christmas, have been instant national bestsellers and reviewed in national newspapers, Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. Her books have been translated into German, Polish and French. Before becoming an author, Chantel worked as a beauty editor at ELLE and appeared as an on-air expert on The Marilyn Denis Show and numerous other daytime programs across the US and Canada. After dating two men with almost exactly the same name, plus a starter marriage, she found the love of her life (phew), so she knows a thing or two about romance. She now lives in Toronto with her husband and three children. 

Sarah Weinman, Nonfiction

Sarah Weinman is the author of three nonfiction books: Without Consent (forthcoming in 2025); Scoundrel, named a Best Book of 2022 by Time, Esquire, CBC, and NPR; and The Real Lolita, named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, The National Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Vulture, and winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award in Nonfiction. She has also edited two nonfiction anthologies: Evidence of Things Seen: True Crime in an Era of Reckoning (2023); and Unspeakable Acts: True Tales of Crime, Murder, Deceit & Obsession (2020), winner of the Anthony Award for Best Nonfiction/Critical Work. A native of Ottawa, Ontario and a graduate of McGill University, Weinman lives in New York City.

Rules and Regulations here.

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About Rakuten Kobo Inc.

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is the world’s digital bookseller created by and for booklovers. Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten Group, Inc. and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo’s millions of worldwide users can read anytime, anywhere, and on any device. With a mission to make reading lives better for all, Rakuten Kobo connects readers to stories using thoughtful and personalized curation of eBooks and audiobooks, and the best dedicated eReaders and apps for reading. With the singular focus of making reading lives the best they can be, Kobo’s open platform allows people to fit reading into more moments in their busy lives.

To learn more about Rakuten Kobo, visit www.kobo.com.

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