The 2026 longlists for the Hamilton Literary Awards were recently announced. Presented annually since 1993, the awards recognize and celebrate published authors from the Greater Hamilton Area and Six Nations of the Grand River. Awards are presented across five categories, including children’s literature. The shortlists for each prize will be announced in the coming weeks. The winners will be announced on December 10, 2026 from 7-9 pm (ET) at the Central Branch of Hamilton Public Library. To purchase tickets, click here. The children's literature longlist is listed below.
Burst Your Bubble! Outsmart the Algorithms and See What You're Missing, written by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Jan Dolby (Owlkids Books)
Chidori: A Story of One Thousand Birds, written by Jennifer Maruno, illustrated by Miki Sato (Pajama Press)
Home for Margaret, written by Denise Davy, illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte (Groundwood Books)
One Can, written by Lana Button and Eric Walters, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant (Groundwood Books)
The Pink Pajamas: A Story About Love and Loss, written and illustrated by Charlene Chua (Simon & Schuster Canada)
Joyce Grant's Burst Your Bubble! is also longlisted in the general non-fiction category.
In 2023, Hamilton Arts Council formalized a partnership with GritLIT: Hamilton's Readers and Writers Festival and Hamilton Public Library to present the awards to audiences across the province. To learn more about the prize, visit hamiltonartscouncil.ca.