TMI Emerging Writers Award


TMI Emerging Writers Award

In celebration of its upcoming 80th anniversary, The Thomas More Institute (TMI) wished to uplift young adult writers through the Emerging Writers Award.

Two winners have been selected to participate in two writing courses each (a value of about 450$ for each winner). The competition was open to young adults aged 21 to 35. They did not have to be enrolled in or connected to an academic institution to apply.
Participants were asked to submit the following two items:
1) A cover letter that answers the following prompts: What does writing mean to you and your life? How do you think this award could help you?
2) A sample of creative writing work. This was open to any genre of creative writing, including but not limited to: short story, creative nonfiction, and poetry.

2025-26 WINNERS:

This year’s winners of the TMI Emerging Writers Award are Emily Gaudet and Iona McEwan!

Emily Gaudet is a poet and editor from Montreal. She was a finalist for the 2025 RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award, and she was a recent mentee in the Quebec Writers Federation mentorship program. She holds an MA in English from Dalhousie University.

Iona McEwan is a tinkerer and a maker. With a background in immersive technology, digital art, and textiles, she loves weaving her myriad of interests into her work. After adventures in Scotland, England and France, she has landed in Montreal, where she shares her home with her partner and a roster of lively foster cats.

Congratulations, Emily and Iona! You can read some of their work in the September 2025 issue of Voices: A TMI Writing Journal.

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About the Thomas More Institute: The Thomas More Institute is an academic institution in Montreal, offering courses in the liberal arts for adults. For many years, it has offered a variety of creative writing courses, covering genres as varied as fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, screenwriting and fantasy writing. The writing courses are designed to help writers develop their skills in a supportive environment, as well as help them to find their distinct voice.


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Phone: (514) 935-9585
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