UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE NOW EXTENDED OUR SUBMISSION DEADLINE TO SUNDAY JUNE 3, 2018.

At Eat North, we are continually looking for new ways to feature Canadian talent in the culinary world. That not only means chefs, farmers, food producers, front of house staff and restaurateurs; it's also the people who tell the stories of those who help bring food to our table. That is why we are very proud to present our inaugural Rising Awards: a new scholarship competition for eager and emerging Canadian food writers. The goal of this new annual initiative is to help, encourage and mentor the next generation of Canadian culinary writers.

Open to all grade 12 high school students and full-time post-secondary students of all ages who are pursuing degrees or have a minor in a writing-related field, this inaugural competition is comprised of three writing categories. The first two categories, foodservice and culinary fictional short story, are presented by Joey Restaurants; and the third, agricultural production, is presented by Food and Farm Care Saskatchewan.

"As fewer and fewer consumers have a direct connection to farming, we need communicators to tell the story of where food comes from and the people in this great country that grow it. Our hope is that these young writers will continue down the path of communicating about food and farming for years to come," says Executive Director of Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan, Clinton Monchuk.

Students who meet the scholarship competition criteria are encouraged to submit written pieces into any of the three categories by May 20, 2018 via the submission form on EatNorth.com.

Submissions in the different categories will be reviewed by an expert judging panel comprised of restaurant industry and agricultural experts and many top Canadian editors and food writers, including Alexandra Gill, The Globe and Mail restaurant critic; Robert McCullough, publisher of Appetite by Random House; Heather Persson, editor-in-chief of Saskatoon StarPhoenix; and Lucy Waverman, food editor of Food & Drink.

“We want to show young Canadians that they can find success in telling the stories of the country’s food scene, whether that means a feature on a unique restaurant in their city, profiling a passionate lentil farmer from the Prairies or writing an imaginative story that inspires Canadians to get cooking in their own kitchens,” says Eat North co-founder and competition organizer Dan Clapson.

The top storyteller in each of the three categories will be awarded a $1,000 cash scholarship, a one-on-one mentorship session with an esteemed editor or author in their region, a cookbook collection, courtesy of Appetite by Random House, and a $200 Joey Restaurants gift card.

The runner-up in each category will be awarded a $500 cash scholarship, three cookbooks courtesy of Appetite by Random House and a $100 Joey Restaurants gift card.

Winners will be announced June 22, 2018 and their winning submissions will be published on right here on Eat North beginning Monday, June 25, 2018 as an exciting lead-up to Canada Day.