Undergraduate essay and creative writing awards

For all essay and creative writing awards, students submit a piece of work for consideration by the department.

How to apply for essay and creative writing awards

To be eligible, entries must have been originally submitted in a course offered by the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media in the academic year just concluded; e.g., entries submitted in April or May 2024 must have been submitted for a course held during the 2023-2024 regular session or the 2023 summer session.

Each entry must include:

  • Student name
  • Student number
  • UM email address
  • Indicate if you are applying for an 'essay award' or a 'creative writing award'
  • Name of the course in which the entry was originally submitted, including the instructor’s name and original date of submission

Email your entry to english@umanitoba.ca by the application deadline. You will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of your entry within a few days. If you do not receive confirmation, your entry has not been received. 

Application deadline: April 30 of each year.

Essay awards

  • Aikins Scholarship I: For best essay in ENGL 1200 by a full-time first-year student, who must re-register for a minimum of 24 credit hours in the next year. Minimum GPA: 3.0. Award amount: $1025
  • Caroline Berbrayer Memorial Award: For best essay on a topic in English language or literature by a full-time fourth year honours or pre-master's student. Award amount: $1525
  • Alexander Robert Leonard Scholarship: For best essay on a topic in English language or literature by a full-time third year honours English student, who must re-register for a minimum of 24 credit hours in the next year. Minimum GPA: 3.0. Award amount: $1500
  • Olafur Bjornson Prize: For outstanding essay on Shakespeare by a full-time undergraduate student. Minimum GPA: 3.5. Award amount: $175
  • John Angus Prescott Memorial Book Prize: for best essay on Victorian literature by a full-time, part-time, undergraduate or graduate student. Award amount: $125
  • English Speaking Union of Canada Prize: for excellent essays by full-time undergraduate students on any topic in English language or literature (including film).  Additionally, all essays submitted for departmental awards are automatically considered for this prize, which is awarded to an excellent essay that would otherwise be unrecognized. Students do not need to submit the same essay twice.  For inquiries on this prize, please contact english@umanitoba.ca.  Minimum GPA: 3.0. Award amount: $8000 (varies yearly)

Note: Award amounts listed are approximate.

Creative writing awards

  • The Chancellor's Prize: For best original narrative, descriptive sketch, familiar essay, short story or poem by a full-time student registered in the Bachelor of Arts program. Minimum GPA: 3.5. Award amount: $275
  • M. Charles Cohen Prize: For most outstanding original stage or screenplay of the year by a full-time student registered in either film or theatre. Award amount: $2200
  • Hirsch Memorial Scholarship: For the most outstanding piece of creative writing—short story, poem, play, descriptive sketch or familiar essay—by a student registered in a full-time continuing program at the University of Manitoba. Minimum GPA: 3.5. Award amount: $3200

Note: Award amounts listed are approximate.

Undergraduate awards not requiring application

All eligible students are automatically considered for these awards, which reward students for a wide range of academic achievements in a variety of genres.

    • Aikins Scholarship II ($1025)
    • Aikins Scholarship III ($1350)
    • Andrew Young Scholarship ($5525)
    • Anna Matas Prize ($150)
    • Charles Birkett Rittenhouse Memorial Scholarship ($4525)
    • Dallas Taylor Memorial Prize ($375)
    • Doris Benson Scholarship in Drama ($30000)
    • Dorothy I. Jones Memorial Scholarship ($725)
    • Esther Leckie Memorial Prize ($2600)
    • Fay Lando Memorial Prize ($500)
    • Florence Kanee Scholarship ($5075)
    • Ieleane Downey Memorial Book Prize ($125)
    • Kathy Windsor Memorial Scholarship ($2500)
    • Leah and Sidney Sheps Scholarship ($1050)
    • Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Shack Prize 2H ($2225)
    • Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Shack Prize 3H ($2725)
    • Nathan Rothstein Prize in Film Studies ($675)
    • Peter L. Coultry Memorial Book Prize ($375)
    • Robin Hoople Memorial Book Prize ($75)
    • Rosa Brook Scholarship ($275)
    • Roscoe R. Miller Scholarship ($475)
    • Rose Toles Prize ($1925)
    • Ross Robinson Award ($375)
    • Victor S. Cowie Memorial Scholarship in the Performing Arts ($800)
    • Walter E. Kroeker Memorial Scholarship in 18th Century Literature ($975)
    • Walter E. Kroeker Memorial Prize in Samuel Johnson Studies ($325)

    Note: Award amounts listed are approximate.

Bursaries

Financial need is the primary consideration for undergraduate and graduate bursaries.

Undergraduate bursaries

  • Dr. Doris B. Saunders Undergraduate Bursary: Awarded to full-time students with good academic standing in any year of study in the department. Award amount: $4325
  • Eve Lev Werier Bursary Award in English: Awarded to a full-time student registered in the major, advanced or honours program in English. Award amount: $550
  • Marjorie A. Hoole Bursary: Awarded to students registered in an undergraduate or pre-master's program in English. Award amount: $7400
  • Sharon Greening Memorial Bursary: Awarded to a full-time student in the third or fourth year of an advanced drama major in theatre or film Studies, including any combined advanced major program with at least one element being drama (theatre) or film studies. Award amount: $4000

Note: Award amounts listed are approximate.

How to apply

To be eligible for bursaries, students must:

  • have been registered in at least 18 credit hours in the previous academic session, and must re-register in at least 18 credit hours in the current session.
  • file a UM general bursary application through their Aurora Student account.

Application deadline: October 1 of each year.

Graduate bursaries

Dr. Doris B. Saunders Graduate Bursary: Awarded to full-time MA or PhD students in any year of study with good academic standing and demonstrated financial need. Award amount: $4325

Marjorie Hoole Bursary: Awarded to students enrolled in an undergraduate or pre-master's program in English. Award amount: $7400

Note: Award amounts listed are approximate.

How to apply

To be eligible for bursaries, students must:

  • file a UM general bursary application through their Aurora Student account.

Application deadline: October 1 of each year.

Graduate scholarships

The Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media offers a number of scholarships for master's and PhD students.

There is no separate application process for departmental scholarships. All students who are successfully accepted and are registered in one of our programs are automatically considered for the scholarships below. 

Aaron Jenkins Perry Memorial Scholarship: Awarded annually to an outstanding graduate student in the MA program, preferably one specializing in Old and Middle English. Award amount: $5800

Caroline Berbrayer Graduate Fellowship: Awarded to a graduate student showing outstanding promise. Award amount: $2300

Cheryl Lamoureux Memorial Prize: Awarded for the most outstanding thesis proposal submitted by a student in the MA program in English. Award amount: $300

Dane Nordheim Memorial Award: Awarded annually to a full-time student in the first year of the MA in English program, who has successfully completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English at the University of Manitoba, with good academic standing and demonstrated interest in creative writing. Award amount: $1925

The Drummond Fellowship: Awarded every other year to an outstanding PhD student who is pursuing Canadian studies. Award amount: $13100

John Meredith Robinson Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a full-time student enrolled in the first year of the MA program in English with good academic standing and pursuing graduate research in British modernism, the novel or any period of British literature prior to 1900. Award amount: $3125

Dr. John Rempel Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a full-time outstanding graduate student in the MA or PhD program who has achieved a minimum GPA of 3.5 based on the last 60 credit hours of study. Preference will be given to a student with a special interest in Shakespeare, satire, or humour. Award amount: $6375

Lyla May Guest Hugill Scholarship in English: Awarded to an outstanding student beginning full-time study toward an MA in English. Award amount: $7075

Margaret H. Tyler Award in English: Awarded to a student entering the first year of study in the PhD program in English who achieved the highest standing on admission criteria to the PhD program in English. Award amount: $12,375

Nancy Moncrieff Scholarship in English: Awarded to a full-time student in the first year of study in the MA program in English who achieved high academic standing as an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Arts degree program at UM. Award amount: $775

Professor Sidney Warhaft Memorial Award: Awarded for the best scholarly thesis submitted by a student graduating with an MA in English. Award amount: $2075

Robert Kroetsch Award: Awarded for the best creative thesis submitted by a student graduating with an MA in English. 

Dr. Vernon B. Rhodenizer Scholarship: Awarded annually by the department to an outstanding graduate student studying in the MA program in English. Award amount: $1700

Weil Fellowship: Awarded to a PhD student in English who shows great promise for teaching and research, demonstrates ability in at least two distinct areas of literature and whose scholarship shows commitment to flexibility and openness. Award amount: $4425

Note: Award amounts listed are approximate.