10/19/2026
The WGA would like to remind folks that the Kemosa Scholarship will be open to submissions until December 1, 2026!
The power of referral is instrumental - please apply, or encourage an eligible Albertan writer in your life who could benefit from the support to continue their writing. The Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers Who Write is open to past winners from the 7th competition and earlier, and all past applicants who were not shortlisted may enter again. There is no fee to submit to the Kemosa Scholarship, and no reference letter is required!
First established in 2017 by Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies in partnership with Tlicho Dene author Richard Van Camp, the Kemosa Scholarship offers an opportunity for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers to obtain resources to help them complete the work on their writing – whether that be a novel, a collection of stories, poems, or whatever form their writing might take.
Three winners will be selected by an independent jury. The prizes are:
First Place ($3000)
Second Place ($2000)
Third Place ($1000)
Deadline: December 1, 2026
If you are an emerging First Nations, Métis or Inuit writer and mother living in Alberta and are interested in applying for the Kemosa Scholarship please submit the following:
1. A sample of your writing (no more than 15 pages) — either prose, poetry, nonfiction, fiction and/or illustrated literature, e.g. graphic novel, comic, etc.
2. A cover letter describing why the scholarship is important for you.
Eligibility: Previous winners of the Kemosa may resubmit as long as they have not won a scholarship within the past 24 months (this would include the 8th and 9th Kemosa Scholarship winners).
Submit at: writersguild.ca/awards
