Held annually at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa, Politics and the Pen/La politique et l'écrit is a unique fundraiser brings together national politicians, talented writers, prominent diplomats, and notable arts and business leaders all in support of the Writers’ Trust mandate to advance, nurture, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing.
The highlight of the evening is the presentation of the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, named in honour of the spirited and inspiring parliamentarian and generously supported by CN. Congratulations to latest winner Tanya Talaga, who took home the 2017 prize for her book Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City.
The Writers' Trust of Canada extends enormous thanks to the 2019 Politics and the Pen co-chairs, Catherine Clark and Dan Mader, and to committee members Jim Armour, Maureen Boyd, Heather Bradley, Alayne Crawford, Elizabeth Gray-Smith, Patrick Kennedy, Francoyse Picard, Jill Scheer, and Max St-Pierre.
