Founded in 2008, the East Anglian Book Awards recognise and celebrate the books and writers who have been shaped by, and have helped shape, the literary culture of our region. The annual awards are a partnership between the Eastern Daily Press and the National Centre for Writing, in association with the University of East Anglia.
National Centre for Writing is proud to have been a partner of the East Anglian Book Awards for over fifteen years. From our home in Norwich, England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, these awards showcase the strength of publishing, writing and reading across the whole of the East of England. We are constantly impressed by the talent that our region cultivates and inspires.
The awards are a partnership between the Eastern Daily Press and the National Centre for Writing, in association with the University of East Anglia.
Since the awards began, they have highlighted the work of more than 150 authors, 200 titles and 100 publishers.
Submissions for the East Anglian Book Awards are currently closed.
East Anglian Book Awards 2025 shortlist announced
The shortlisted titles for the East Anglian Book Awards 2025, the region’s leading celebration of writing and publishing talent, have been announced — alongside the shortlist for the inaugural City of Literature Award.
This year marks an exciting expansion, with eligibility widened to include books and writers from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The broader scope reflects East Anglia’s reputation as a region of ‘big skies and bold stories’ – celebrating the voices, books and ideas born from East Anglia’s rich literary and cultural landscape.
Past winners
The East Anglian Book Awards have supported more than 150 authors and 200 titles in its lifetime.
Previous winners include the celebrated writer and naturalist Mark Cocker, multi-award-winning author and nature columnist Melissa Harrison and Sarah Perry, who went on to win the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. Sarah’s novel The Essex Serpent became a Waterstones Book of the Year and was adapted for Apple TV+ starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston.
In partnership with the Eastern Daily Press and the National Centre for Writing, in association with the University of East Anglia.
