Charles Foran has been awarded the $50,000 2018 Writers' Trust of Canada Fellowship for being "one of the leading Canadian voices of our time."

The fellowship is given to writers who have "demonstrated exceptional creative ability and outstanding promise."

The fellowship was established in 2015. The previous recipients were Michael Crummey in 2015, Miriam Toews in 2016 and Eden Robinson last year.

"When I received the news about this year's Writers' Trust Fellowship, my mind raced to at least a dozen authors equally worthy," said Foran in a news release. "The literary company of Miriam Toews, Michael Crummey, and Eden Robinson is fine company indeed, far finer than I'm used to. I'm honoured to be counted by the Writers' Trust among these good people."

The author of 11 books to date, Foran has written fiction, nonfiction and journalism. His book, Mordecai, about the life and career of the late Mordecai Richler, won the Governor General's Literary Award for nonfiction and the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction in 2011.

He has also won a Canadian Jewish Book Award, two QSPELL prizes and several National Magazine Awards.

The jury recognized the "range, depth and beauty" of Charles Foran's work in awarding him the fellowship. As part of the fellowship, Foran will attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The Banff Centre is a partner of the CBC Literary Prizes.

The Writers' Trust of Canada also gives out seven annual literary prizes, including the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Elizabeth Hay won the Hilary Weston Prize for her memoir All Things Consoled and Kathy Page won the Rogers Fiction Prize for her novel Dear Evelyn.