The City of Toronto and Toronto Public Library are pleased to announce that Kate Cayley has been awarded the 2026 Toronto Book Award for Property, published by Coach House Books. The award was presented this evening at the Toronto Reference Library.
Set over the course of a single spring day in a gentrifying neighbourhood, Property follows a cast of interconnected residents as they navigate family tensions, friendship, class and belonging in an increasingly stretched city. As their lives gradually converge, seemingly inconsequential encounters build toward a tragedy that leaves the West End neighbourhood forever changed.
The 2026 Toronto Book Award jury described Property as “a novel of dazzling interiority” that skillfully explores the anxieties, desires and obsessions of four families living on a single Toronto street, praising the author’s ability to evoke life in Toronto through her thoughtful exploration of contemporary concerns.
Property was selected from a shortlist that included:
The Toronto Book Awards celebrate authors whose works capture the spirit, history, people and places of Toronto. Cayley will receive a $20,000 prize, while the remaining shortlisted authors will each receive $2,000.
Residents can explore and borrow shortlisted titles through the Toronto Public Library’s Toronto Book Awards webpage.
About the Toronto Book Awards
The Toronto Book Awards honour authors whose books are inspired by the city. Established in 1974, the awards celebrate literary excellence and recognize works that deepen understanding of Toronto’s people, places, histories and diverse communities.
This year’s jury brought together an accomplished group of award-winning writers, publishing professionals, educators and literary advocates from across Toronto’s literary community, including author and poet Jake Byrne, novelist and non-fiction writer Kristen den Hartog, literary agent Julia Kim, educator, anti-racism advocate and writer Matthew R. Morris and poet, translator and curator Bänoo Zan.
The Toronto Book Awards are one of the many ways the City supports creativity and culture through Culture Connects, the City’s 10-year action plan for culture. By recognizing and investing in authors whose work is inspired by Toronto, the awards elevate local voices, support literary excellence and help readers discover stories that reflect the city’s communities, histories and experiences.
More information about the award is available on the City’s Toronto Book Awards webpage.
Quote:
“Congratulations to Kate Cayley on winning the 2026 Toronto Book Award for her novel, Property. This award celebrates the outstanding literary talent that helps define Toronto’s cultural landscape and brings our city’s stories to life. We are proud to recognize all of this year’s shortlisted authors and their remarkable contributions to Canadian literature. I hope readers across Toronto will pick up these books and come away inspired by their creativity, insight and range of perspectives.”
– Moe Hosseini-Ara, City Librarian & CEO, Toronto Public Library
Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City's website or follow us on X, Instagram or Facebook.