Nicholas Herring wins the 2022 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Prize for Fiction!

Nicolas Herring has won the 2022 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize for his debut novel Some Hellish.

Herring is a hapless lobster fisher lost in an unexceptional life, bored of thinking the same old thoughts. One December day, following a hunch, he cuts a hole in the living room floor and installs a hoist, altering the course of everything in his life.

The Jury explained what moved them to award Some Hellish top honours, touching on Herring's quality of writing and knowledge of Prince Edward Island:

“What Cormac McCarthy did for cowboys and horses, Nicholas Herring does for fishermen and boats in his novel Some Hellish. With a deep knowledge of the Island and a passion for the language of work, Herring’s voice is droll and philosophical, ribald and poetic. The age-old story of humans versus nature finds a fresh cadence as Herring trawls the seas for body and soul. There is a dark beauty within this story, and it will make the reader’s heart sing.”

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Find the recent blog about the Booker shortlist, along with details about The Scotiabank Giller Prize and The Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and let us know what stories you fell in love with! We'll share blogs on the winning titles following their respective galas - November 7th for the Giller.