The Writers’ Union of Canada is pleased to announce that Imaan Umar has won the $2,500 prize for its 32nd annual Short Prose Competition for Emerging Writers, for the best story under 2,500 words, with her piece “First Ouroboros.” The Union will submit the winning story and the eleven other shortlisted stories to three Canadian magazine publishers for their consideration.
WINNER
“First Ouroboros” by Imaan Umar, Toronto, ON
The jury comprised of Lisa Bird-Wilson, Jenna Butler, and Jack Wang noted that “First Ouroboros” is intimate and surprising, and a deeply affecting work of fiction. Despite familial, cultural, societal, and even ancestral expectations, a woman follows the courage of her convictions to make an irrevocable choice. Through elegant and richly detailed language, the story dramatizes the necessity — and the cost — of personal agency.
Imaan Umar is a public health researcher, student, and writer. Born in Pakistan and raised in Vancouver, Imaan’s passions lie in the intersections of health equity, reproductive justice, and unabashed storytelling. “First Ouroboros” is Imaan’s first short story. Her work has also been longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She plans to turn her writings into a novel soon. Imaan resides in Toronto, where she continues to write and pursue her PhD in health policy research.
This year, 30 Union members donated their time and expertise to read 599 submissions and distill them into a long list of 142 stories. These stories went on to a second round of 29 readers who selected the finalists to pass on to the jury:
FINALISTS
“Kimberlite,” Courtney Bill, Victoria, BC
“Underwear,” Carolyn Chung, Toronto, ON
“Say Thank You/Thuh-n-uh to Your Camel,” Carmen Farrell, North Vancouver, BC
“How To Build A Bomb,” Lindsay Foran, Ottawa, ON
“Insignificant Other,” Ireh Iyioha, Victoria, BC
“Call it a Night,” John Brad MacDonald, Montreal, QC
“FRY,” Fareh Malik, Whitby, ON
“Yew Tree,” Evan Manning, Toronto, ON
“All the Ways We Save Each Other,” Dawn Miller, Picton, ON
“Homework,” Aaron Rabinowitz, Bowen Island, BC
“Tour de Force,” Catherine St. Denis, Victoria, BC
FINAL JURY
Lisa Bird-Wilson, Jenna Butler, Jack Wang
READERS FOR THE COMPETITION
Jennilee Austria Bonifacio, Leanne Baugh, Tony Berryman, Kirti Bhadresa, Christina Brobby, L.V. Brooks, Dorothyanne Brown, Kevin Burns, Michelle Butler Hallett, Suzanne Craig-Whytock, Angel Di Zhang, Isabel Duarte, Marilyn Duarte, Louise Ells, Margot Fedoruk, Colleen Fisher Tully, Willy Gakunzi, Monica Graham, Heidi Greco, Leslie Greentree, Gord Grisenthwaite, Kim Harbridge, Elizabeth Haynes, Paul Headrick, Yolande House, Lisa Hrabluk, Alana Jones, Joelle Kidd, Chris Kuriata, Tanya Kyi, Amy LeBlanc, Sidura Ludwig, Emma McKenna, Judith Montgomery, Donalee Moulton, Terry Murray, Shari Narine, Daniela Norris, Kamal Parmar, Abby Pelaez, Heather Ramsay, Carolyn Redl, Jim Reilly, Zoë S. Roy, Syr Ruus, Larry Scanlan, Vanessa Shields, Marcia Sirota, Shawn Syms, Margie Taylor, Lorne Tepperman, Rhea Tregebov, Nadia Umadat, Dennis Vanderspek, Susan White, Jia Qing Wilson-Yang, David Wiseman, Gina Leola Woolsey, Anna Yin.
– 30 –
The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is the national organization of professionally published writers. TWUC was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers, and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers. Now over 2,900 members strong, TWUC advocates on behalf of writers’ collective interests, and delivers value to members through advocacy, community, and information. TWUC believes in a thriving, diverse Canadian culture that values and supports writers. Learn more at writersunion.ca.
For additional information:
Kristina Cuenca, Program Manager
The Writers’ Union of Canada
twuc@writersunion.ca
DATE: June 5, 2025
