Mark McClure Writes

10/06/2026

If you’ve never stood behind your Grandma, passing her clothes pins as she moved down the line, you’ve missed out!

10/04/2026

March 1st 2026 - writers across Canada began composing their entry for the Canadian Authors Association’s Karen Gansel Prize. We were given two weeks and 5000 words!

I’m excited to say an anthology of (many) of those stories, including my entry “Forge Froide”, will be available later THIS month!

I’ll be sharing more details soon. Please support the talented authors who have contributed to this project and the Canadian Authors Association.

J.R. MacLean Jean McCarthy Diana Davidson Peggi Peacock Barbara Darby Canadian Authors Association

10/02/2026

“The Kept Woman of Keremeos” - kind words from guest judge Heather O’Neil. Follow Yolk Literary and get your copy of their Fall Issue Nov 2026!

09/27/2026

Oct 1st Yolk Literary will announce the winners of their Montreal Fiction Prize. My story “The Kept Woman of Keremeos” was selected as a finalist out of more than 400 entries!

09/19/2026

The Threepenny Review has been one of the world’s most prestigious literary journals since its inception in 1980. I’m incredibly grateful to see my work there soon - authors spend a lifetime hoping for these calibre of placements - so thankful!

07/02/2026

THE COURIER

I’m looking for a handful of beta readers for my finished novel,

The Courier — literary historical fiction, ~74,000 words, set in post-Civil War Appalachia.

The story: A Confederate deserter and a freedman carrying a land deed are forced into an uneasy alliance, driving toward a recording office in Charleston with a man named Vance Holt closing in behind them. What starts as a simple theft becomes a reckoning with what each man is willing to risk for what he’s carrying — and why.

In the tradition of Cormac McCarthy, Charles Frazier, and Ron Rash: spare prose, hard country, and the weight of what goes unsaid.

What I need from you: A beta reader isn’t a proofreader — I’m not looking for grammar catches. I want your honest reaction as a reader:

* Where did you get pulled in? Where did you drift?
* Did the pacing work, especially through the middle chapters?
* Did the ending land?
* Any characters or scenes that confused you, or that you wanted more of?

No writing background required — just an appetite for this kind of story and a willingness to give me real, specific feedback (a few paragraphs or notes as you go is perfect).

The ask: A read within 3 weeks, plus a short call or written notes after.

DM me if you’re interested — I’ll send the manuscript July 15.

Thanks!

06/08/2026

04/19/2026

‘Forge Froide’ has won the Canadian Author’s Association Karen Gansel Prize.

Urgel Paradis has endured decades of loss, and his return to community, his work and life is a quiet portrayal of how grief is overcome in due time.

Thank you Canadian Author’s Association!

04/19/2026

‘Forge Froide’ has won the CAA Karen Gansel Prize!

Thank you .fallis Richard Stursberg.

04/12/2026

I’m so proud of Mark Mcclure! Short listed for an amazing short story. I feel sure he will win!

“Forge Froide” is a finalist in the 2026 CAA Karen Gansel Award!!! Winner announced April 19th.