The Walrus Announces the Mansbridge Essay

The Walrus is proud to announce a new partnership with Peter Mansbridge to launch the Mansbridge Essay, a new annual essay program supporting emerging writers in Canada.

The program will offer $5,000 to one winning writer whose original essay pitch explores an issue of pressing interest to Canadians.

The opportunity is open to permanent residents and citizens of Canada who are less than five years into their writing career. Applicants must submit a pitch—of no more than 500 words—outlining their proposed 2,500–3,000-word essay, including the topic and planned interviews. Alongside the pitch, applicants must add writing samples and their résumé when applying.

“At a moment when many doors into journalism are closing, the Mansbridge Essay is designed to open one,” said Carmine Starnino, editor-in-chief of The Walrus. “We’re immensely proud to partner with Peter Mansbridge and give an emerging writer the chance to pursue a bold idea and bring it to readers across the country.”

Pitch submissions open June 15, 2026, and close on July 15, 2026. The selected writer will be announced on August 17, 2026. The first draft will be due by the first week of September, and the essay will be published in The Walrus January/February 2027 issue, out in December. The essay will also be featured on thewalrus.ca.

More information, including submission guidelines and eligibility requirements, are available at thewalrus.ca/mansbridge-essay.

This marks the start of a ten-year-long partnership between The Walrus and Peter Mansbridge. 

The Walrus was proud to recently partner with the Mansbridge Charitable Foundation for our 2025 GivingTuesday campaign. Between the two foundations, there is a shared focus on championing early-career journalists.

This program’s focus on emerging talent extends to The Walrus’s editorial mandate through our fellowships and contributing writer program, along with providing a platform and development opportunities for the next wave of talented and diverse voices entering this industry. The Mansbridge Essay serves as a natural extension of this work.

For more information, contact: Monita Mohan, Marketing Director, The Walrus, at monita@thewalrus.ca

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About The WalrusThe Walrus provokes new thinking and sparks conversation on matters vital to Canada. As a registered charity, we publish independent, fact-based journalism across platforms; produce national, ideas-focused events, including our flagship series The Walrus Talks; and train emerging storytellers through our fellowship program. The Walrus is invested in the idea that a healthy society relies on informed citizens.