The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is proud to present the Freedom to Read Award in celebration of Freedom to Read Week. The award recognizes work in support of freedom of expression. 

Previous winners have included author Lawrence Hill for his response to the threat to burn his novel The Book of Negroes, Quebec writer Charles Montpetit for his tireless work to help preserve the freedom to read and write in this country, Janine Fuller of Little Sisters bookstore in Vancouver for her ongoing challenges to Canada's ability to ban books at the border, and Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby for his many years of working to fight censorship.

Celebrate Freedom to Read Week

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom. As of 2024, Freedom to Read Week entered a new phase led by Library and Archives Canada, the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, and the Ontario Library Association in partnership with the Book and Periodical Council. Learn more.

 

Lawrence Hill, Winner of the 2012 Freedom to Read Award

"I was so honoured to received the Freedom to Read award, and was tickled to receive it after my daughter, Evangeline Freedman, had received it in a previous year. Apart from that unusual family connection to the award, I was honoured — and feel that it is a vital award — especially given that writers (including journalists) are at increasing threat, and their work seems even more important in these perilous times, when democracy is so threatened in North America and beyond."

Deborah Campbell, Winner of the 2017 Freedom to Read Award

"I was thrilled to receive the Freedom to Read Award because it acknowledges the struggle to tell stories that are rarely heard. It's especially significant for me, as a nonfiction writer, because of the increasing threats to the very notion of facts. We live in a time when writing and journalism are under siege, and this award is an important step towards protecting the values we hold dear."

2026 Freedom to Read Award Winner

The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is pleased to announce that author and professor Ira Wells is the recipient of the 2026 Freedom to Read Award. Wells is associate professor of literature and humanities at the University of Toronto and author of 2025’s On Book Banning: Or, How the New Censorship Consensus Trivializes Art and Undermines Democracy. Read the full press release here.

Freedom to Read Award Winners