Spanish-language writers, this is your invitation.
After a groundbreaking debut last year, the Muskoka Novel Marathon’s Spanish
Division is back, says division convenor Pilar Miralles, offering Spanish-language
authors across Canada the chance to write, connect, and compete in a literary
challenge added with their voices in mind.
Registration is now open for the 25th Muskoka Novel Marathon, happening July 16
to 19, 2026, at Port Sydney Community Hall and online via Zoom. The nonprofit
creative challenge invites writers of all experience levels to dedicate 72 hours to
writing a novel while raising funds to support adult literacy services through YMCA
Simcoe Muskoka – and competing for Best Novel or Best Spanish-Language Novel.
Miralles joined the Muskoka Novel Marathon in 2020 after being introduced to the
event by her mentor and friend, Mexican-Canadian writer Martha Batiz. “I was
hooked,” she says. “The energy, the challenge, and the community were unlike
anything I had experienced before as a writer.”
The idea for a Spanish Division came from Miralles’ own experience. As a Spanish
language writer, she realized she could participate in the marathon but not submit
her work to the competition for Best Novel. “I knew I wasn’t alone,” she said. “There
are approximately 1.7 million Spanish-speaking Canadians, and I was aware of
several Spanish-language writers in Ontario who were eager to participate but faced
the same barrier.” She proposed a dedicated Spanish-language division to the
marathon’s organizers and, as a result, it launched in 2025.
That first year was a milestone. Four Latina writers completed the marathon and
submitted manuscripts for judging, demonstrating a strong appetite for a Spanish
language stream within the event.
“Language is identity,” says Miralles. “Spanish-speaking writers in Canada deserve a
space to tell their stories in their own language and to be recognized for their craft.
The Spanish Division is a way of saying: your voice matters, your language matters,
and there is a place for you here.”
With several writers already registered and only weeks remaining before this year’s
marathon, Miralles is encouraging others to sign up now.
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment or the perfect story idea,” she says. “The Muskoka
Novel Marathon is about the challenge, the community, and the joy of writing – and
the Spanish Division means you can experience all of that in your own language.”
The 2026 Spanish Division is supported by Canada Habla Español, Inspiradas, FIL
Canada, and Laberinto Press. Plus, the winner of the marathon’s new Best Spanish
Language Novel will have their manuscript submitted to publisher Lugar Común
Editorial for review.
For Miralles, the goal is clear: to see more Spanish-language authors from across
Canada take part and help build a thriving literary community. “You will surprise
yourself with what you can create in a single weekend, and you will find a community
that celebrates you,” she says.
The 25th anniversary event will include meals, snacks, coffee, and tea,
commemorative swag, celebratory moments, cake, and pre-marathon workshops
focused on writing, fundraising, and the marathon’s history.
KM Wehrstein, marathon convenor, praised Miralles for her hard work to create the
Spanish Division, build partnerships with judges, sponsors, and a publisher, and lift
Latin voices throughout Canada.
“It’s an opportunity like no other for writers, either experienced or beginners,” says
Wehrstein. “Why is this year the perfect time to jump in? Because it’s this year. If
there is something you want to do and think you will love doing, the time to start
doing it is now.”
To register or learn more, visit MuskokaNovelMarathon.com or follow the Muskoka
Novel Marathon on Facebook.
