Vancouver writer Larah Luna has been awarded the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize for her story A Season of Crows. The announcement was made today by CBC, in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Luna's story was chosen from nearly 3,000 submissions, earning her the top prize of $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, along with a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Her story has also been published on cbcbooks.ca.
Inspiration Behind the Story
In a statement, Luna shared the inspiration behind A Season of Crows. "I wrote this story out of a sense that grief doesn't disappear," she said. "It shifts and settles into the world around us. Seeing crows gather felt, to me, as if they knew something before we did. The story grew from my memories of the Prairies, and from the feeling that landscapes hold onto what we've lost. I'm deeply honoured that it resonated with the jury."
Jury's Praise
The jury for the CBC Short Story Prize, comprising Maria Reva, Terry Fallis, and Tracey Lindberg, offered glowing praise for Luna's winning entry. "The jury found A Season of Crows to be a loving portrait of the complex relationships, community and equality of spirit in a town where crows and humans cohabitate," they stated. "The genuine love of neighbours, human and more than human, respect for social orders, and reciprocal understandings of home and love, are gently and skilfully woven together in this story. The author's writing resonates deeply, allowing readers the space for both joy and grief. With the complexity of neighbouring societies laid bare, A Season of Crows reminds us all of the richness and necessity of community relationships."
Runners-Up
The four runners-up for the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize each received $1,000. They are: Amber Allen of Guelph for Pattern Recognition; Kate Cayley of Toronto for Anniversary; Carrie Mac of Vancouver for How to Break Up with a Monster; and Andy Stefan of Ottawa for Low Water.
