Politics and the Pen gala committee, from left, Maureen Boyd, Rob Rosenfeld, co-chairs Patrick Kennedy and Heather Bradley, Dan Mader, Liz Gray-Smith, Alexandra Spence and Hardave Birk, at the Fairmont Château Laurier for the Writers' Trust of Canada literary gala. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From Writers’ Tears to tears of joy, Raymond B. Blake wins Politics and the Pen’s top prize
While weary wordsmiths might occasionally turn to Writers’ Tears Irish whiskey for help, the drink took on a much more celebratory role Wednesday at Politics and the Pen, where 500 guests raised their glasses to toast this year’s finalists for The Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing.
The black-tie crowd also helped raise $475,000 for the Writers’ Trust of Canada at the sold-out literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier.
Taking home the award, and the upgraded $40,000 prize money that comes with it, was Raymond B. Blake for Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Shaping of a National Identity, published by UBC Press.
He was announced as the winner by Patrick Lortie, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at CN, in the hotel ballroom, following a suspense-building table-top drum roll by attendees.
One of the first things Blake did was to acknowledge the other finalists and their works. “It was truly wonderful to read them all,” said the author, who was all misty eyed when he first got on stage.
Stories are a fundamental part of being human, continued Blake, a professor of history at the University of Regina and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. “We all tell stories, we all create narratives.
“In a nation like Canada, we have many histories to draw upon, but every once in a while we form normative stories that reflect what we believe and what we hope.
“My book is about stories, and I argue that prime ministers are critical in that process.”
Blake expressed how “gratifying” it was to see CN as the award sponsor. As a boy growing up in rural Newfoundland, the CN coastal boats made weekly visits to his isolated community. He also shared how much it meant to receive so many nice messages from his hometown after learning he was a finalist.
Patrick Lortie, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at CN, leads the room in a toast with Writers’ Tears Irish whiskey at the Politics and the Pen literary gala, held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Patrick Lortie, representing sponsor CN, and Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing winner Raymond B. Blake, author of Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Shaping of a National Identity. Photo by Caroline Phillips
It was a full house at the Politics and the Pen literary gala, held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in support of the Writers Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize, named after the Liberal MP who passed away suddenly in the House of Commons in 1998.
Co-chairing the gala this year were Patrick Kennedy, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies, and Heather Bradley, who’s retired but worked for nearly 30 years as comms director in the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons.
They were joined on the organizing committee by Maureen Boyd, chair emerita with the Parliamentary Centre; Rob Rosenfeld; Dan Mader, founding partner at boutique government relations and strategic communications firm Loyalist; Liz Gray-Smith, president and lead strategist at Grey Smith Communications; Alexandra Spence, senior manager of government relations at TD; and Hardave Birk, director of government relations at Rogers Communications.
Representing Writers’ Trust was its executive director, David Leonard, joined by the chair of his board, Marla Lehberg.
Heather Bradley, formerly long-time director of communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons, and Patrick Kennedy, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies, co-chaired the gala committee for this year’s Politics and the Pen in support of The Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The gala opened with a very chatty cocktail reception. You’d think 90 minutes of mingling would be long enough, but it was still hard to settle the crowd. The lone piper was only marginally better than flashing the lobby lights, and it took a while to get the job done for Speaker of the House Francis Scarpaleggia, normally well-versed in handling noisy audiences. “They didn’t tell me this gig would be so difficult,” he quipped while coaxing everyone to take their seats.
The dinner was emceed by Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont and Justice Minister Sean Fraser, both of whom represent Nova Scotia ridings. They kept the room entertained with their political lampooning while each table was joined by a medal-wearing politician and an author.
Guests dined on a main course of Alberta beef tenderloin.
Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont, left, and Justice Minister Sean Fraser kept the crowd entertained as the hosts of this year’s Politics and the Pen literary gala, held in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada at the Fairmont Château Laurier. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Former Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt, vice-chair of global investment banking at CIBC, and former NDP member of parliament Megan Leslie, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada, teamed up to deliver one of the highlights of the evening, a witty video sponsored by Rogers.
Politics in the Pen is normally held in the spring but was postponed this year due to the April 28 federal election. With the future of the government leadership previously uncertain, along with ongoing tensions simmering with our neighbours to the south, Raitt and Leslie filmed a series of alternate videos that were shared with the crowd, featuring hypothetical wins by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh (“This is never happening,” Leslie quickly acknowledged) and the eventual win by Mark Carney. Another scenario imagined Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, making this year’s gala “the best ever, best in the world Politics and the Pen,” poking fun at U.S. President Donald Trump’s excessive bragging.
From left, Christa Dickenson, president and CEO of CPAC, and Colette Watson, president at Rogers Sports and Media, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Laura Kurkimaki, vice president at McMillan Vantage, Luke Fulton (Canadian Bankers Association), Mary Anne Carter, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies, and Andrew Lockhart, director of government and public affairs at Telesat, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Raymond B. Blake delivered an unscripted acceptance speech after receiving the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his book, Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Shaping of a National Identity, during the Politics and the Pen literary gala. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Caroline Dromaguet, president and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History/Canadian War Museum, Ottawa MP Mona Fortier, Senator Danièle Henkel and Steven Hogue, director of global policy and public affairs (Canada) for Pfizer, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
A lone piper circulated through the crowd, signaling that it was time for attendees to make their way into the ballroom. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Velma McColl, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies, Rubicon Strategy co-founder and CEO Kory Teneycke (who also led Doug Ford’s re-election campaign), and the public affairs and government relations firm’s executive vice president and Ottawa practice lead, Elizabeth Roscoe, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Chad Schella (associate vice-president of government relations at CIBC), former Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt (vice-chair of global investment banking at CIBC), Calin Rovinescu (former CEO of Air Canada and current executive chairman of CAE), Amy South (executive vice president and chief of staff of the CIBC CEO) and Roman Dubczak (deputy chair of capital markets at CIBC) at the Politics and the Pen gala. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing winner Raymond B. Blake (Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Shaping of a National Identity) and Writers’ Trust of Canada board chair Marla Lehberg at the Politics and the Pen gala, held at the Fairmont Château Laurier. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Hersi Hujaleh (Google), Alik Angaladian (principal at Maple Leaf Strategies) and Canadian Chamber of Commerce executive vice president Matthew Holmes at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing finalist Stephen Maher (The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau) and Ottawa-based author Charlotte Gray (Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons) at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Irfhan Rawji, managing partner at Relay Ventures, Ottawa-based author Denise Chong (Out of Darkness) and Writers’ Trust of Canada executive director David Leonard at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, former NDP MP Megan Leslie and Politics and the Pen gala committee member Liz Gray-Smith (Gray Smith Communications) in the hotel ballroom of the Fairmont Château Laurier for this year’s fundraiser for The Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
This year’s Cohen Prize jury consisted of Jennifer Ditchburn, president and CEO of the Institute for Research on Public Policy; Globe and Mail journalist Sara Mojtahedzadeh; and Christopher Waddell, professor emeritus and former director at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University.
Blake’s book examines how Canada’s prime ministers, since the end of the Second World War, have defined and redefined Canadian identity, using their speeches as a lens, Waddell said in the short video that introduced all the finalists.
Said Ditchburn in her praise: “It’s a book that combines political science, history, communications analysis and it gives you a sense of how prime ministers can really use storytelling in their speeches, in their slogans, to try to give some sense of what it means to be Canadian.”
The book is important, she continued, “because it reinforces the idea of how important it is for prime ministers and all leaders to be able to talk to people and to share a vision of what they think this country could be, what it should be. It’s hard to reach all people but it’s something that prime ministers have to do; they have to be able to speak to the nation and to express that vision.”
The other four finalists were each awarded $5,000 in prize money. They were Stephen Maher for his book The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau, published by Simon & Schuster Canada; former federal Health Minister Jane Philpott for her book Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada, published by Signal; Alasdair Roberts, author of The Adaptable Country: How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press; and former Shaughnessy Cohen Prize winner Tanya Talaga, author of The Knowing, by HarperCollins Publishers.
Dr. Ramona Coelho, co-editor of Unravelling MAiD in Canada, Globe and Mail feature writer and author Erin Anderssen and Hugh Scott, executive director of strategic alliances at Innovative Medicines Canada, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Senator Rodger Cuzner plants a kiss on former Newfoundland MP Scott Simms, now a senior associate at Hill & Knowlton, at the Fairmont Château Laurier for the Politics and the Pen literary gala held in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Kate Purchase (Microsoft), Phil Cartwright (senior vice president at Global Public Affairs) and Alexandra Clark (vice president of communications and public affairs at Shopify) at the Fairmont Château Laurier for the Politics and the Pen literary gala held in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Writers’ Trust of Canada executive director David Leonard and Julia Culpeper at the Fairmont Château Laurier for the Politics and the Pen literary gala. Photo by Caroline Phillips
As is tradition at Politics and the Pen, Speaker of the House Francis Scarpaleggia took on the challenging task of calling everyone to their tables for the start of the main event and dinner. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, author Denise Hearn (The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians), Bob Plamondon (Shawinigan Fox) and Andrew Cohen (Two Days in June) at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Lisa Samson, managing principal of StrategyCorp, and her husband, former Shaughnessy Cohen Prize winner Paul Wells, at the Fairmont Château Laurier for the Politics and the Pen literary gala in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Ginny Sutcliffe and her husband, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, and Marci Surkes, chief strategy officer and managing director at Compass Rose, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Lori Wagner, director of sales and marketing at the Fairmont Château Laurier, with the hotel’s general manager, Geneviève Dumas, at the Politics and Pen gala held Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Jacob Glick, head of public policy at Amazon.ca, and Wendy Noss, president of the Motion Picture Association-Canada, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Don Guy, local author Brigitte Pellerin (Bruce Fanjoy’s Apple Crumble Recipe: How one man defeated a would-be prime minister), BMO Commercial Bank vice president Layla Darwish, BMO regional vice president Rick Campagna, and BMO regional president Teresa Pagnotta at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Krista Kealey, vice president of communications and public affairs at the Ottawa International Airport Authority, and David Rheault, vice president of government relations and community relations for Air Canada, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Liberal MP Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West), Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary) and Liberal MP Karina Gould (Burlington) at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Gowling WLG partner Jacques Shore and Politics and the Pen gala committee member Dan Mader, founding partner at Loyalist, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Liberal MPs Steve Fuhr (Kelowna) and Jenna Sudds (Kanata), Amy MacLeod (vice president of corporate communications, MDA Space) and Christyn Cianfarani, president and CEO of CADSI, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Ron Corbett, publisher of Ottawa Press and Publishing, with one of his published authors, Andrew King, from the Ottawa Rewind series, at the Fairmont Château Laurier for the Politics and the Pen literary gala held in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline Phillips
A sold-out crowd of 500 attended the Politics and the Pen gala held at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips
This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, RBC, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law.
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