FULL LIST OF CRITERIA FOR 2022
1.The Award will be made annually to the most promising book of 6,000 words or more for seven year-olds and upwards by a first novelist in a single calendar year.
2.The author may have published other books in another genre – for example, poetry or a picture book – but eligibility for the prize requires that this is her or his first novel for children.
3.The book chosen should be first published on a children’s list in the UK in 2021.
4.The book must have an Editor.
5.The author should live and work in the UK.
6.We cannot accept books that are only available in e-format or that are self published or where the author has contributed or paid for the costs of publishing.
7.The Award will be for a novel or a younger reader for children, but not for a short story which is part of a compilation by various authors, nor for a picture book, nor for a collection of poetry.
8.It is the publisher’s responsibility to check that all books submitted are first novels for children and should confirm that with the authors prior to submission.
9.The book should have been published between 1 January and 31 December 2021.
10.The winning author and editor will each receive an engraved trophy.
11.The winning author will also receive a cheque for £1,000.
