Writing Awards at UC

Awards for UC and UC-program student.

The following four competitions are open to students enrolled during the academic year in University College or to students from other colleges who are enrolled in University College-sponsored or affiliated courses or programs. Course instructors may enter on behalf of a student. Please first seek the student's consent. To verify college affiliation, you may email uc.programs@utoronto.ca. Entries will automatically be considered in each of the competitions for which they are eligible.

• Established in 2007 in memory of Meyer Greenstein (UC ’40), the Meyer (Mike) Greenstein Memorial Student Award for Writing Excellence offers a single prize of up to $1,000 each year for outstanding writing in an academic essay or creative work.
• Established in 1946 in memory of Norma Epstein (UC ’45), the Norma Epstein Foundation Awards in Creative Writing offer prizes totalling approximately $8,000 each year in the categories of Poetry, Drama, Short Story, and Other Prose. 
• Established in 1948 in memory of Professor Frederic Davidson (UC ’90), the Frederic Davidson Awards offer one prize of $2,000, one of $1,000, and one of $625 each year for any type of academic essay.
• Established in 2019, the Lorne Tepperman Prize in Public Writing offers an annual prize of $1,000 for an outstanding paper on a topic of social significance in Canada aimed at a general audience.

Students enrolled during the year in an undergraduate or graduate program in any Canadian university can apply for the biennial Norma Epstein National Award in the categories of Poetry, Drama, Novel, and Short Story. The total prize money is approximately $8,000. Note: students enrolled in University College must enter the UC competition.

Submission portal opens April 15, 2025 and ends May 15, 2025 (11:59 PM EST) for all awards.