The Jan Andrews Literary Award
This award is named to honour one of MASC’s co-founders, Jan Andrews. Jan was a storyteller and children’s author who inspired many and believed deeply in the importance of the Arts to young people.
We invite students in Grades 8-12 to submit a piece of creative writing to be considered for this award. The recipient will receive 20 hours of mentorship with a professional author. The mentorship will be developed between the winner and the artist.
Guidelines
- Open to students in Grades 8-12/Sec II-V
- Maximum 1,000 words
- Double-spaced
- Font size 12pt. minimum.
The winning student’s name, photograph and entry will be published on the MASC website, unless specifically declined by the applicant.
The deadline for submission will be February 9, 2026, and the winner will receive their award at the MASC Arts Awards evening to be held at the NAC in April 8, 2026.
About Jan Andrews
Jan Andrews was an acclaimed author of numerous books for children, including To See the Stars, The Silent Summer of Kyle McGinley, When the Wind Came, and The Auction, which was a Governor General’s Literary Award finalist. Jan was the first President of the Storytellers of Canada and in 2016, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture as a children’s writer and pioneer of Canada’s storytelling movement. Most importantly to MASC, in 1989 Jan Andrews and her partner Jennifer Cayley co-founded MASC, which has become the leading Arts Education organization in this region.
Meet Last Year’s Award Recipient
To me, writing means making emotion visible. It is being able to turn ideas and thoughts into words. Expressing myself through writing has been such a beneficial experience. Through writing, I have been able to bring my imagination to life and make my ideas heard. Learning from a professional author will provide me with the insight I need to see where my writing could exceed.
