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FAQs

How does the Wales Book of the Year Award work?

The annual Wales Book of the Year Award is presented to the best Welsh and English-language works first published in the year preceding the Award in the fields of creative writing and literary criticism in three categories: Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction. The English-language poetry Award is titled the Roland Mathias Poetry Award.

A panel of three English-language judges and three Welsh-language judges decide on three titles in each category to compile the Short List which is announced in Spring. The winners of each category will then be announced at the Award Ceremony in the summertime, and there will also be one overall winner chosen from the three category winners.

Who runs the competition?

The Wales Book of the Year Award is administered by Literature Wales with funding from the Arts Council of Wales. Literature Wales is the national company for the development of literature in Wales. Previous to 2004 the Award was administered by the Arts Council of Wales.

How often does the Wales Book of the Year Award take place?

The Wales Book of the Year Award takes place annually, with the Short List announced in Spring and the Winners announced in Summer.

How much is the prize money?

Each category winner receives £1,000 and the overall winner then wins an additional £3,000.

Can I attend this year’s events?

The details about the Wales Book of the Year Award Ceremony 2017 are yet to be announced.

How is the competition judged?

Three judges are invited to judge the English-language books and three to judge the Welsh-language books. Past judges have been individuals who are prominent within the literature or writing scene in Wales; authors, journalists, reviewers, presenters and editors, but most importantly, they are all avid readers.

All three judges must read all books submitted, before collectively deciding on the Short List and then the Winners. One judge is named the Chair of the panel.

Is my book eligible?

Please read the eligibility criteria to find out if your book is eligible.

How do I enter?

The deadline for submitting books first published during 2016 for the 2017 Award is Friday 20 January 2017. 

Changes to the procedure of sending eligible books
Publishing houses should send four print copies of each eligible title as close to the publishing date as possible to the following address:

Wales Book of the Year Award
Literature Wales
4th Floor, Cambrian Buildings
Mount Stuart Square
Cardiff
CF10 5FL

All administration is conducted in-house; there are no forms for publishers to complete.

Who are the previous winners?

Visit the archive page on the website to find all previous winners

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