January 19, 2026 (Toronto, ON) –  The Mantella Corporation and the Giller Foundation are addressing a critical gap in Canadian literature with the return of the Giller Mantella Scholarship for a third consecutive year, representing a $90,000 investment. While racialized people make up over 26% of the population, BIPOC authors remain significantly underrepresented in Canadian publishing, literary prizes, and academic faculty positions. Research shows they often work harder for less recognition than peers from dominant demographics.

The Giller Mantella Scholarship supports Black, Indigenous, and racialized students pursuing English Literature, Writing, or Creative Writing at Canadian post-secondary institutions. Since 2024, the Scholarship has committed to changing the landscape of Canadian literature through action, not rhetoric. Each year, three exceptional BIPOC students receive $10,000 scholarships, providing meaningful support that addresses systemic barriers to access.

“This Scholarship exists primarily because talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t—and in Canadian literature, that gap disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and racialised students,” said Elana Rabinovitch, Executive Director of the Giller Foundation. “The Giller Foundation has always honoured writers who’ve already made it onto the page. But there are still too many gifted young writers from underrepresented communities who are passionate and wildly talented, but have no realistic way to turn that promise into a career in literature.”

“Talent is essential, but it doesn’t pay the bills, which, for a BIPOC student, are often more onerous than for their peers,” Rabinovitch added. “The scholarship is a way of saying: your talent matters enough that the material side and the encouragement side are being taken seriously too.”

The 2025 scholarship recipients, announced in November, exemplify that exceptional talent: Myeisha Dyer of Pickering, Ontario, an English Co-op student at the University of Ottawa and 2021 New York Times youth narrative contest finalist; Grace Lu of Toronto, a University of Toronto student majoring in English and Philosophy, Governor General’s Academic Medal recipient, and two-time Portrait Society of Canada young artist competition winner; and Lauryn Tran, a second-year English Literature student at Queen’s University who has self-published three poetry collections and earned the Danbe Foundation & Barbara Crook Scholarship and Dean’s Honour List with Distinction.

Research from The Writers’ Union of Canada confirms the barriers facing the BIPOC community. The Diversity in Canadian Writing publication from May 2022 found that authors identifying as BIPOC, LGBTQ2+, and/or disabled encounter greater career obstacles, including being excluded from networking opportunities and missing out on projects despite equal or superior qualifications. While BIPOC authors saw proportionally higher recognition in award shortlists and literary festivals, they remain underrepresented among published titles and tend to have fewer active years in the industry.

Sylvia Mantella, Vice President  Marketing, Sponsorship and Philanthropy, Mantella Corporation, emphasised the importance of sustained support, equity, and inclusion. “BIPOC students continue to face financial and systemic barriers that limit access and opportunity. For emerging writers, those barriers can silence stories before they’re ever told. Expanding this scholarship was necessary to ensure talent is not lost due to circumstance.”

“We designed this scholarship as a long-term commitment. Real change requires sustained investment, not one-time gestures,” Mantella said. “Funding it over multiple years—with our investment to date of $90,000—ensures students have meaningful, lasting support to focus on their work and build their futures.”

“At heart, the scholarship is meant to say: you belong here, and your stories belong here,” Rabinovitch explained. “It signals to students who rarely see themselves on syllabi, on spines, or on prize lists that their voice is not an exception or a niche, but part of the future of Canadian literature.”

Applications for the 2026 Giller Mantella Scholarship open from Monday, January 19 to Friday, April 2, 2026, at gillerprize.ca/giller-mantella-scholarship.

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