The Toby Award, the first of its kind in Canada, recognizes excellence in self-published mystery novels by Canadian authors. In it’s third year, the annual Toby Award is open for submissions from self-published Canadian mystery authors until December 15, 2026.
This year’s award is open to novels released in 2026 in a trade paperback format. The award is sponsored by Barbara Crook of Ottawa and ReBound Press located in Ashton, Ontario. The award aims to spotlight Canadian authors navigating the evolving publishing landscape.
The winner will receive the Toby Award statue — a unique metal sculpture of a dog reading a book. The sculpture was created by acclaimed Ontario artist Carol Nasvytis of Soul Metal. The silver eyeglasses were designed and crafted by Ladysmith, B.C. silversmith, Vonda Croissant, and Evan Taylor of Silver Spoon Jewellery in Perth, Ontario.
The 2026 Toby Award winner was Ottawa author, C.J. (Chris) Fournier, for his novel, The Pathfinder, Book 2 in the Denny Durant Montréal Crime Series. Fournier says, “Winning the Toby was a huge deal for me. It not only boosted sales, but also my self-confidence. The Toby arrived as a rare moment of validation to let me know I was on the right path. I am deeply grateful to Peggy Blair for her energy and vision in creating the Toby, and to Barbara Crook for her generous financial support.”
Award founder Peggy Blair, an internationally recognized mystery author and owner of ReBound Press, established the Toby Award to celebrate the talent of self-published authors.
“The Toby Award recognizes the risk-taking, creativity, and perseverance of Canadian mystery writers who choose to publish outside the traditional system. Our goal is to help readers discover exceptional books that deserve a wider audience and terrific Canadian authors they may not have heard of before,” Peggy shared.
For more information on eligibility criteria, please visit https://tobyaward.wordpress.com/.
