Writers' Union Of Canada
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The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is the national organization of professionally published writers. TWUC was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers, and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers. TWUC advocates on behalf of writers’ collective interests, and delivers value to members through advocacy, community, and information. TWUC believes in a thriving, diverse Canadian culture that values and supports writers. As of 2024, the Union is over 2,800 members strong. The Union administers the Danuta Gleed Literary Award for the best first collection of short stories in English published in Canada. TWUC also administers the Short Prose Competition for Emerging Writers, which aims to discover, encourage, and promote new writers of short prose in order to provide opportunity and exposure to developing writers. Each year the Union awards the Freedom to Read Award as part of the celebration of Freedom to Read Week across Canada in February of each year. The award recognizes work in support of freedom of expression. Recipients have included authors Derek Finkle and Charles Montpetit as well as former MP Wendy Lill, Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby, and Janine Fuller, owner of Vancouver's embattled Little Sisters bookstore. Danny Ramadan is the Chair of The Writers' Union of Canada. John Degen is its Chief Executive Officer. Past chairs have included noted authors Marian Engel,
Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...
,
Pierre Berton Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian historian, writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular cultur ...
, June Callwood, Timothy Findley, Graeme Gibson, Susan Musgrave, Paul Quarrington, Maggie Siggins, Susan McCaslin and Susan Swan. TWUC headquarters are based in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
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References


The Canadian Encyclopedia: Writers' Union of Canada
*[http://www.capprt-tcrpap.gc.ca/epic/internet/incapprt-tcrpap.nsf/en/tn00128e.html The Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal - Certification Order - The Writers' Union of Canada (November 17, 1998)]
CBC Arts: Writers' Union 'aghast' at library cuts


External links

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Records of Vancouver Industrial Writers Union are held by Simon Fraser University's Special Collections and Rare Books

List of members, 2017
(choice) {{Authority control Non-profit organizations based in Toronto Arts organizations established in 1973 Canadian writers' organizations