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The Journey Prize Stories 33: The Best of Canada's New Black Writers
This much-anticipated, game-changing special edition of Canada's premier annual fiction anthology celebrates the country's best emerging Black writers.
For over thirty years, The Journey Prize Stories has consistently introduced readers to the next generation of great Canadian writers. The 33rd edition of Canada's most prestigious annual fiction anthology proudly continues this tradition by celebrating the best emerging Black writers in the country, as selected by a jury comprising internationally acclaimed, award-winning writers David Chariandy, Esi Edugyan, and Canisia Lubrin.
An eagle-eyed mother and a hungry child contend with the aftereffects of an unusual multi-course meal. Both the debts of the past and the promise of the future hover over two siblings as they debate what to do with an unexpected windfall. A pesky but beloved baboon looms large in the memory of a daughter whose family has been forced to move to a new town. Unclear boundaries and cheerful hypocrisy dominate a woman’s whirlwind romance with a photographer. A schoolgirl contends with complicated emotions as she awaits the return of her long-absent mother. News of a hunter’s death reverberates throughout his family, travelling across oceans and phonelines to trouble his cousin’s already-shaky relationship. An office worker joins a lost grandmother on an unexpected pilgrimage. After years away, a woman journeys back to Jamaica—and back to the sister who refused to leave with her—stirring up insecurities, laughter, and wounds unhealed by time. All the instructions in the world cannot protect a family from the impacts of grief. The only Black girls in school experiment with what it means to be a lady when you’re not yet a woman.
For over thirty years, The Journey Prize Stories has consistently introduced readers to the next generation of great Canadian writers. The 33rd edition of Canada's most prestigious annual fiction anthology proudly continues this tradition by celebrating the best emerging Black writers in the country, as selected by a jury comprising internationally acclaimed, award-winning writers David Chariandy, Esi Edugyan, and Canisia Lubrin.
An eagle-eyed mother and a hungry child contend with the aftereffects of an unusual multi-course meal. Both the debts of the past and the promise of the future hover over two siblings as they debate what to do with an unexpected windfall. A pesky but beloved baboon looms large in the memory of a daughter whose family has been forced to move to a new town. Unclear boundaries and cheerful hypocrisy dominate a woman’s whirlwind romance with a photographer. A schoolgirl contends with complicated emotions as she awaits the return of her long-absent mother. News of a hunter’s death reverberates throughout his family, travelling across oceans and phonelines to trouble his cousin’s already-shaky relationship. An office worker joins a lost grandmother on an unexpected pilgrimage. After years away, a woman journeys back to Jamaica—and back to the sister who refused to leave with her—stirring up insecurities, laughter, and wounds unhealed by time. All the instructions in the world cannot protect a family from the impacts of grief. The only Black girls in school experiment with what it means to be a lady when you’re not yet a woman.
224 pages, Paperback
Published February 7, 2023
2 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
David Chariandy
16 books373 followersDavid Chariandy is a Canadian writer and one of the co-founders of Commodore Books.
His debut novel Soucouyant was nominated for ten literary prizes and awards, including the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (longlisted), the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize (longlisted), the 2007 Governor General's Award for Fiction (finalist), the 2007 ForeWord Book of the Year Award for literary fiction from an independent press ("gold" winner), the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book of Canada and the Caribbean (shortlisted), the 2008 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize of the British Columbia Book Prizes (shortlisted), the 2008 City of Toronto Book Award (shortlisted), the 2008 "One Book, One Vancouver" of the Vancouver Public Library (shortlisted), the 2008 Relit Award for best novel from a Canadian independent press (shortlisted), and the 2007 Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award (shortlisted).
Chariandy has a MA from Carleton and a PhD from York University. He lives in Vancouver and teaches in the department of English at Simon Fraser University.
His second novel, entitled Brother, is forthcoming from McClleland and Stewart.
His debut novel Soucouyant was nominated for ten literary prizes and awards, including the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (longlisted), the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize (longlisted), the 2007 Governor General's Award for Fiction (finalist), the 2007 ForeWord Book of the Year Award for literary fiction from an independent press ("gold" winner), the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book of Canada and the Caribbean (shortlisted), the 2008 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize of the British Columbia Book Prizes (shortlisted), the 2008 City of Toronto Book Award (shortlisted), the 2008 "One Book, One Vancouver" of the Vancouver Public Library (shortlisted), the 2008 Relit Award for best novel from a Canadian independent press (shortlisted), and the 2007 Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award (shortlisted).
Chariandy has a MA from Carleton and a PhD from York University. He lives in Vancouver and teaches in the department of English at Simon Fraser University.
His second novel, entitled Brother, is forthcoming from McClleland and Stewart.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 9, 2023
I'm not the biggest short story fan but I do enjoy supporting up and coming Canadian authors. It's really special that this year's Journey Prize collection was focused on Black Canadian writers. Some of these authors I've read before but many were brand new voices for me. There was definitely some standout stories but my two favorites were both written by Téa Mutonji. Great as an audiobook with a full cast of narrators too.
February 20, 2023
So many incredible stories in this collection, but my personal favourite has to be "Caves" by Jasmine Sealy. Such powerful writing.
April 12, 2023
3.5 stars
My favourites from this collection:
-Homecoming
-The Promise of Foreign
-Lady
-Lucky Baboon
-Pilgrimage
I’d say the audience is for 20 to 30-year-old women, especially since many of the stories explore female sexuality. (Too explicit for my high school library.) There are no Black Canadian male authors included in the collection. Hopefully, the next edition will include some of these authors as we are looking for their books to include in the library collection!
My favourites from this collection:
-Homecoming
-The Promise of Foreign
-Lady
-Lucky Baboon
-Pilgrimage
I’d say the audience is for 20 to 30-year-old women, especially since many of the stories explore female sexuality. (Too explicit for my high school library.) There are no Black Canadian male authors included in the collection. Hopefully, the next edition will include some of these authors as we are looking for their books to include in the library collection!
February 17, 2023
The Journey Prize commits to amplifying the voices of writers who have historically been marginalized by systemic inequality, including within the publishing ecosystem.
This collection of short stories is truly a gem. There are hidden threads interwoven in these pieces, made up of love and identity, a culture left behind that has lost meaning or is misunderstood, longing, families torn apart by economic interests, death, or the simple need for self improvement. There is a strong connection to Africa and the Caribbean, and even if none of the countries of origin are named, we recognise the paradox affecting all emigrants, of wanting to belong at the same time as wanting to be rooted to territory and tradition. It is this final mosaic of multicoloured threads that connects these stories making them relevant to each and everyone of us. Or anyone who has lost and found, who has lost and is still searching.
This collection of short stories is truly a gem. There are hidden threads interwoven in these pieces, made up of love and identity, a culture left behind that has lost meaning or is misunderstood, longing, families torn apart by economic interests, death, or the simple need for self improvement. There is a strong connection to Africa and the Caribbean, and even if none of the countries of origin are named, we recognise the paradox affecting all emigrants, of wanting to belong at the same time as wanting to be rooted to territory and tradition. It is this final mosaic of multicoloured threads that connects these stories making them relevant to each and everyone of us. Or anyone who has lost and found, who has lost and is still searching.
August 16, 2023
Like any collection by a range of writers, this is a mixed bag. The highlights for me were Jasmine Sealy’s Collapse, where a man’s death in Haiti points up flaws in his second cousin’s relationship, and Christina Coke’s Homecoming, a somewhat tense reunion between sisters in Jamaica. Not all the stories are about diaspora and families!
February 6, 2024
I wasn't familiar with the Journey Prize collections, I'm excited to dive into the previous editions after experiencing this one. There's such range in these works, I'm looking forward to checking out other works by the included authors!
May 8, 2023
This was my first collection, I will definitely be looking out for the next volume.
March 9, 2024
Some very good short stories! I hope to read more by many of these authors.
7/10
7/10
August 20, 2025
Sumptuous storytelling, earthy, on point
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews