2026 Irene Adler Prize Awarded to Doley Henderson

M.Sc. in Creative Writing Candidate Wins $1,000 Scholarship for Women Writers

VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA, August 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Doley Henderson has won the 2026 Irene Adler Prize for her essay, "Oyibo." The Toronto-based Henderson, who receives $1,000 toward her education, is seeking her M.Sc. in creative writing for therapeutic purposes at Metanoia Institute through Middlesex University.

Founded in 2017, the annual Irene Adler Prize offers a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution. The competition is open to writers worldwide.

"Doley’s essay beautifully captures the challenges and joys of teaching high-school English in Nigeria," said prize founder Lucas Aykroyd. "Teachers, students, and cultural connections come alive with well-crafted images and telling details in this vibrant piece."

An honorable mention went to Anne Marie Wells ("Halfway"), who is pursuing her creative writing undergraduate degree at Okanagan College in Kelowna, British Columbia. Wells receives a $250 honorarium. 2026 marks the first time that all competition winners hail from Canada.

Aykroyd is an award-winning Vancouver writer and public speaker whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Globe and Mail, Ms. Magazine, and Shondaland. He has covered women's hockey for IIHF.com at seven Olympics and served as the editor-in-chief of WomenSport International's newsletter. Aykroyd holds an M.A. in English literature from the University of Victoria, which gave him the Distinguished Alumni Award.

The Irene Adler Prize is named after the heroine of the 1891 Sherlock Holmes detective story "A Scandal in Bohemia" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

For more on the Irene Adler Prize, the 2026 winning essay, and past winners, see:

http://lucasaykroyd.com/scholarships

The 2027 Irene Adler Prize submission guidelines will be released in January.

Lucas Aykroyd
Scholarship Founder
lucas@lucasaykroyd.com

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