Enter the prize

How publishers can enter books for the prize

The competition is open to living authors of any nationality whose work is published in the UK in English. Self-published works, where the author is the publisher, are ineligible. Books must be published in English in the UK between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024.

In order for the judges to judge the book(s) in a well-rounded way, it is very important for publishers to send proofs of the submitted book(s) in good time before the first meeting in June.

Read the rules and conditions of entry.

Publishers can recommend a book for a call-in.

Key dates and process

• Submissions open 04 April 2024
• Submissions close 11 June 2024
• Judges read and review the entered books
• Judges announce 12 books for the longlist in September 2024
• The shortlist of six books is announced in October 2024 live from Cheltenham Literature festival
• The prize winner is unveiled at an award ceremony in London on 19 November 2024