Best Canadian Sports Writing, edited by Pasha Malla and Stacey May Fowles, is an anthology of the highest quality recent magazine, journal, newspaper, and online articles on the subject of sports written by Canadians. Slated for publication with ECW Press in fall 2017, the book will feature twenty-five to thirty pieces, offering a diverse mix of columns, opinion pieces and long-form journalism on a wide variety of sports.
Not only will Best Canadian Sports Writing be a compendium of the highest quality Canadian sports journalism, it will represent a shift in style, approach, perspective and tone that has emerged in recent years. While Best Canadian Sports Writing will not eschew reportage, we are most interested in pieces that capture, sometimes impressionistically, the spirit of fandom and the various new means with which we engage with sports.
Best Canadian Sports Writing will speak to those fans hungry for more than box scores and highlight reels: writing that goes in-depth, that expands sport beyond the numbers. Together the pieces will draw a clear picture of why sports mean so much to us, and what they say about our broader culture.
Submissions
English language pieces (or translations) on the subject of sports published in newspapers, magazines, journals, and online publications between January 1, 2015, and August 1, 2016, are eligible. (If a piece is published outside of this timeframe but feels timely and indicative of the project’s aims, it will be considered.) Submitted articles should be column length or longer, must have been written by a Canadian (work that has appeared in American publications is welcome), and cannot be self-published, a reprint or book excerpt.
Pieces will be selected on the basis of their literary quality and innovative approach. The overall aim is to showcase the range of leading literary sports writing that is being produced by Canadian talent and highlight ground-breaking contemporary perspectives on “the game.” We prioritize inclusivity and strongly encourage writers of all backgrounds and identities to submit their best sports writing, especially those who have traditionally been excluded from the mainstream sports conversation.
The call for submissions is open from May 2 to August 1, 2016. Please submit your entry in Microsoft Word or PDF format (as it originally appeared), and include your name, full contact information, and where and when your piece was published in the body of your email. Both individual writers and publications are welcome to submit. We apologize that due to the volume of submissions, only those writers selected will receive a response.
All submissions should be sent to bestcanadiansportswriting@gmail.com by midnight on August 1, 2016.