Meet the contenders: 2026 W.O. Mitchell Book Prize finalists announced

If you are looking for your next great read, look no further than this year’s W.O. Mitchell Book Prize finalists: 

• Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers by Marcello Di Cintio.
• The Crane by Monica Kidd.
• There’s Magic Here Too: A Trans Woman’s Guide to Being Monstrous by Skylar Kay. 

The three finalists will each provide a reading from their book and discuss the background and cultural context of their writing at a public reading Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Shelf Life Books. 

Each spring, The City of Calgary and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta celebrate Calgary’s thriving and diverse writing community through the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize.  

Established in 1996, the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize honours Calgary’s beloved storyteller W.O. Mitchell, author of many short stories, plays, and books including Who Has Seen the Wind, which sold close to a million copies.  

The prize is part of the annual Calgary Awards, honouring incredible Calgarians in 13 categories. The final recipient will be announced during the 2026 Calgary Awards ceremony on June 17. 

There were 38 submissions for the prize. Jury members considered visual style, depth, storyline structure, ability to engage the reader, and themes that resonate with the audience.  

For more information about the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and the Calgary Awards, visit Calgary.ca/calgaryawards. 

Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers, Marcello Di Cintio 

A timely work of literary nonfiction, Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers examines the realities faced by migrant workers and the systems that shape their working lives. Through reportage and storytelling, Di Cintio brings readers into the lived experience behind essential work—and the precarity that often comes with it. 

 The Crane, Monica Kidd 

The Crane is a vivid, emotionally resonant work that explores memory, place, and the stories we carry forward. With sharp observation and lyrical precision, Kidd draws readers into a narrative shaped by history and the everyday details that make a life. 

There’s Magic Here Too: A Trans Woman’s Guide to Being Monstrous, Skylar Kay 

In There’s Magic Here Too: A Trans Woman’s Guide to Being Monstrous, Skylar Kay blends cultural critique and personal insight to reframe “monstrosity” as a source of power, survival, and imagination. The book offers an incisive, accessible guide to finding language for difference—and making room for complexity.