Fort St. John Author joins prestigious CBC Literary Prize jury

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Local author Helen Knott has been selected as a judge for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) 2025 non-fiction literary prize.

With Dane-Zaa, Nehiyaw, Métis, and European ancestry, Knott’s two books—In My Own Mocassins and Becoming A Matriarch—have earned her international acclaim.

Recently nominated for the 2024 Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction, she described being named to the judges’ chair in a Facebook post.

“Excited to be on the jury for this prize,” wrote Knott on Wednesday, January 8th. “Submit your words darlings.”

Knott will be joined on the panel by Toronto-based poet and screenwriter Zoe Whittall and Vancouver-based Syrian Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ author Danny Ramadan.

The CBC Literary Prizes, first awarded in 1979, are awarded annually in short stories, poetry, and creative nonfiction, according to the broadcaster’s website.

Winners will receive a cash prize of $6,000 from the Canadian Council of the Arts, their work published on the CBC books website, and enjoy a two-week residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Entries will be open until March 1st at 2:59 p.m. local time.  More information, including details on how to enter, are available on the 2025 CBC Nonfiction prize website.