The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is grateful to our writing community for building a rich literary ecosystem that has championed imagination and ingenuity. But we would be wrong to leave out the equally important foundation of this community: our readers. Alberta readers are at the heart of our work as they dedicate their time to exploring, immersing themselves, celebrating, and sharing books, and without them our writing community would be a smaller, lonelier place.
In that spirit, the friends and family of avid book lover and ever-curious reader Jeff Wandzilak (1969 – 2026) are coming together to honour an Alberta writer with the Jeff Wandzilak Memorial Award for Best First Book, in memory of Jeff’s passion for stories.
The 2028 prize for the Jeff Wandzilak Memorial Award for Best First Book is $2000.00, and will be open to all Albertan writers with a first new book of fiction or nonfiction published in 2027. Eligible writers may still enter additional Alberta Literary Awards as well.
The WGA is grateful for Jeff’s lifelong support of the literary arts, and are hoping to keep his legacy alive for years to come by additionally seeking further donations to the Award for the years ahead.
All donations in Canada will receive a tax receipt for their donation year.
“Jeff was a friend of PLB from the very start, and it wasn’t long before we started seeing him on a near-weekly basis—usually with his motorcycle helmet in hand, always with a story to tell. He was a smart reader with great taste and it was always such a pleasure to see him and catch up on all the things he was up to.”
– Porch Light Books, Edmonton
Jeff lead a life of intelligence, honesty, and his love of books. He had a wide and indiscriminate taste, with genuine joy in new stories. A familiar face at local bookstores—with a formidable book collection of his own—Jeff will be missed by many.
