As the award enters its next chapter, we’re excited to continue this collaboration and celebrate the writers, stories, and ideas that enrich Canada’s literary community.

On Thursday, June 4, the 2026 awards ceremony took place at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto, celebrating 50 years of the Amazon Canada First Novel Award. Hosted by Jennifer Hollett, Executive Director of The Walrus, the evening brought together Canada’s publishing and writing communities and featured acclaimed Canadian author Lawrence Hill as the special guest speaker.

The ceremony welcomed the largest audience in the award’s history, bringing together guests to celebrate the shortlisted writers and honour this year’s winners.

Maria Reva, the Vancouver-based author of Endling (Knopf Canada), was announced as the winner of the 2026 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. Reva received the $60,000 prize, while each of the shortlisted novelists was awarded $6,000. To learn more about the winner and the full shortlist, visit thewalrus.ca/afna.

Now in its ninth year, the Youth Short Story category celebrates authors aged thirteen to seventeen who have written short stories under 3,000 words. Seventeen-year-old Nandini Parihar, from Guelph, Ontario, was chosen as the winner by the panel of judges. She received a $5,000 prize for her winning story, “Space Between Certainties,” which will be published in The Walrus later this year.

Watch highlights from the evening in this sizzle reel, which captures the celebration, excitement, and community that brought this milestone event to life.

Interested in creating a program that recognizes talent and brings people together around shared ideas? Get in touch to explore how we can help develop and deliver initiatives that make an impact.

The Walrus Lab and our in-house podcast production company, Lead Podcasting, recently launched a new podcast pop-up booth experience for events. The booth creates a space for attendees to share their perspectives, respond to curated questions, and capture the conversations that matter.

Led by two experienced members of our podcast team, the booth captures engaging interviews and reflections that can be edited into a professionally produced sizzle reel, offering an additional way to showcase the ideas and perspectives that emerge at an event.

Take a look at this recent sizzle reel from The Walrus Talks Power and Belonging, featuring the podcast booth in action.

Interested in bringing the pop-up booth to your next event? Get in touch to learn more about how we can help capture and share the voices, stories, and insights that emerge.

At The Walrus Lab, we’re proud to partner with organizations that are working to create a better future and to share stories that inspire action. From conservation efforts to humanitarian work, these recent projects demonstrate the power of thoughtful storytelling.

Through a partnership with WWF-Canada, The Walrus Lab shared "A Legacy of Love and Conservation," a story about one family's enduring commitment to Arctic conservation. Inspired by a transformative trip to Churchill, Manitoba, the feature highlights how generosity can help protect wildlife, support northern communities, and preserve one of Canada's most extraordinary landscapes for generations to come.

The Walrus Lab partnered with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Canada to produce “Hope Is Radical,” a reflection on finding hope amid global crises. Written by MSF Canada’s executive director, the piece explores the resilience of humanitarian workers and the role of compassion, action, and collective responsibility in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

If your organization is working to make a difference, The Walrus Lab can help tell that story. Connect with us to explore how a custom supplement can showcase your work and reach readers who care about the issues shaping our world.

Discover the newest seasons of podcasts produced by The Walrus Lab and Lead Podcasting for our partners

Great ideas deserve to be heard. The Walrus Lab and Lead Podcasting partner with organizations to produce podcasts that reach engaged audiences and leave a lasting impact. Connect with us to discuss your next project.

Interested in learning more about The Walrus Lab or exploring a potential partnership? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to discuss how we can help bring your ideas and initiatives to life through custom stories, podcasts, and events.