The Stephen Leacock Associates work to preserve the literary legacy of Stephen Leacock, oversee the annual Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, and encourage the growth of Canadian humour writing.

The Leacock Memorial Medal is a prestigious annual honour, accompanied by a $15,000 prize, awarded for the best in Canadian humour writing. The award has attained an international reputation and is the only award of its kind for Canadian humour writing.

Overview The Stephen Leacock Associates was founded in 1946 and began awarding the Leacock Medal for Humour in 1947. The number of entries has continually grown — 70 books were put forward by publishers and writers for 2011. An anonymous panel of judges, appointed from across Canada by the Associates’ board of directors, vets all entries and selects the shortlist of five potential winners. The shortlist is typically announced each April 1st, and the winning book is announced at the end of April. The medal and the cash award of $15,000 are presented in June at the Stephen Leacock Award Dinner, at the Geneva Park Conference Centre on Lake Couchiching in Orillia, Ontario.

In addition, the board administers an annual Student Award for Humour to encourage young writers, and it undertakes other activities to promote and preserve the legacy of Stephen Leacock and to support Canadian humor writing in general. The Associates also produce The Newspacket, a quarterly newsletter informing members around the world of the organization’s activities.

Mission
1. To honour and perpetuate the name and memory of Stephen Leacock — humorist, author, economist and lecturer.

2. To arrange for the annual award and presentation of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.

3. To encourage the growth of Canadian humorous writing.

4. To initiate and support activities which widen interest in Leacock and his writings.

5. To widen public interest in the Stephen Leacock Memorial Home to as great a degree as possible in the Leacock legend.

6. This organization will be carried on without purpose of gain for its members and any profits or accretions to the organization shall be used in promoting its objectives.