A Vancouver journalist has put $1,000 up for grabs for female journalists and writers pursuing a postsecondary degree in Canada or the United States.

Lucas Aykroyd, who has contributed to the Georgia Straight since 2004, recently launched the Irene Adler Prize, a scholarship for women enrolled in a bachelor’s-, master’s-, or PhD-degree program in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized university or college in North America.

In a telephone interview, Aykroyd alluded to the election of U.S. President Donald Trump and said that 2017 felt like a good time to show his appreciation to the women who contributed to his career as a journalist and a freelance writer living in Vancouver.

“Reflecting on my career and reflecting on the current climate for women—which is, shall we say, challenging—I could see that throughout my career, women had had a large impact on my success. My mother is a journalist. She wrote for many years for her paper in her hometown of Turku, Finland. And my sister has gone on to work in publishing.”

Aykroyd’s website adds a little more: “The editors who gave me my big breaks with the New York Times, the Washington Post, and National Geographic Traveler are all female,” it reads. “Nearly every story of mine that’s won an award was assigned by a woman. Teachers, librarians, publicists, literary agents, fellow writers…I could go on. Women have had a huge impact on my career.”

Closer to home, Aykroyd mentioned Carolyn Ali at the Georgia Straight, Caralyn Campbell at the Vancouver Sun, and Kate MacLennan, a former managing editor at B.C. Business magazine.

And why the name Irene Adler for the scholarship? Aykroyd explained that Irene Adler is the “heroine of a Sherlock Holmes detective story” and a “smart, adventurous woman with a powerful voice”.

Entries require a 500-word essay on a female role model and one’s ambitions in areas of writing and travel. The deadline for applications is April 30, 2017. Additional eligibility requirements and complete details are available at Aykroyd’s website.