Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada are eligible to enter. For any contestant who has not reached the age of majority in his/her province or country of residence, parental or guardian consent is necessary to enter the Contest.

The Nonfiction Prize includes memoir, biography, humour writing, essay (including personal essay), travel writing, and feature articles. While the events must be real and the facts true, creative nonfiction conveys your message through the use of literary techniques such as characterization, plot, setting, dialogue, narrative, and personal reflection. The work should be accessible to a general reading audience (i.e., not written for a specialized or academic audience).