Robert McGill shortlisted for Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize

Robert McGill, a professor of English in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science, has been shortlisted for the 2025 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize for his debut short story collection, Simple Creatures.

Named in honour of Writers’ Trust co-founders and literary couple Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson, the annual award recognizes the best novel or short story collection by a Canadian author. Funded by the Balsillie Family Foundation, the winner will receive $70,000, with each of the five finalists receiving $7,500.

"It was a shock and a delight to learn that Simple Creatures is a finalist,” says McGill, who is acting chair of the department of English. “I love it whenever fiction prize juries recognize short story collections as well as novels. In this case, there are two collections among the finalists, and I'm feeling very lucky that mine is getting to keep such fine company."

Simple Creatures explores the heartaches and joys of people seeking to uncomplicate their lives, through stories that bear an element of humour but feature characters who are overwhelmed by life's complications.

The winner of the prize will be announced at the Writers' Trust awards gala on Nov. 13 in Toronto.

Read the Faculty of Arts & Science story