Criteria

The work must be literature of the fantastic, which includes fabulist, fantasy, magic realist, science fictional, speculative, supernatural, and surrealist works.

  • The work must be a novel, or novel-length short story collection. 
  • The author must be Canadian—that is, a Canadian Citizen (native or naturalized; resident in Canada or residing outside Canada) or Landed Immigrant in Canada.
  • Translations into English are considered on an equal footing with works written originally in English. Only the first translation of a work is eligible.
  • The work must be substantially text-based and have been published as a physical book, or in DRM-free ePub format with an ISBN number.
  • Novels and short story collections published in any given calendar year are eligible for consideration in the following calendar year. If a work was not submitted in its first year of eligibility it can then be submitted for consideration one year later. No work can be submitted twice. 

If you are ready to submit your work, click here.

The Sunburst Award Administrative Committee reserves the right to make the final determination of a work’s eligibility.

Submissions open October 1, 2024.