Submissions for the East Anglian Book Awards 2025, which celebrate the outstanding literary culture of our region, are now closed.
Now in their seventeenth year, the awards are a longstanding partnership between National Centre for Writing and the Eastern Daily Press, supported by the University of East Anglia Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Award categories
We welcome entries in the following categories, including a new award for debut novelists:
- Fiction
- Poetry
- History and Tradition
- Biography and Memoir
- General Non-Fiction
- Children’s Books
- Debut Novels (new category)
We welcome illustrated books in every category.
A winner from each of the seven subject categories will be chosen; one of which will receive the overall East Anglian Book of the Year Award, with a top prize of £1,000.
City of Literature Award
The inaugural City of Literature Award, supported by Norwich City of Literature, recognises outstanding contributions by individuals or organisations to the region’s literary ecosystem – whether through community engagement, publishing innovation or literary advocacy. Public voting is now closed.
These awards have always celebrated and championed exceptional writing and we couldn’t be prouder that year on year they bring to the fore the astounding wealth of publications both about and emerging from East Anglia.
Eligibility
To qualify works must be set largely in East Anglia or be written by an author currently living in the region, which for the Awards’ purposes is defined as the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Books must have been published for the first time between 6 August 2024 and 5 August 2025. They must have been commercially available in physical bookshops. They must have an ISBN.
Books available only as eBooks, or solely from online retailers, are not eligible. Books that are published first as an eBook must have been published both for the first time and in commercially available hard-copy form between the specified dates.
How to enter
Submissions for the East Anglian Book Awards 2025 are now closed.
Entries must be made in two parts. Both parts must be completed by the closing date of 12 noon on Monday 28 July.
Part one
Fill in the entry form.
A separate entry form must be submitted for each individual book.
Part two
Post the entry to reach us by the closing date.
Book submissions must be delivered to East Anglian Book Awards, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, 115-123 King Street, Norwich NR1 1QE by the deadline. A digital copy of the book may also be supplied as a PDF via email to [email protected].
All titles will be considered before the judges draw up their shortlist for each category.
The organisers reserve the right to withdraw or amend any category depending on the number of entries received. Due to the volume of entries, we regret that we are not able to give feedback to entrants.
The shortlist will be published in the Eastern Daily Press, Evening News, East Anglian Daily Times, Norfolk Magazine and online. Shortlisted authors or their publishers will also be informed directly.
The shortlist for each category will be announced in October 2025. The winners will be announced in early 2026.
Please see below for frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the area that I live in, or the area my book is set in, eligible for the awards?
For the Awards’ purposes, East Anglia is defined as the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. If you’re unsure which county your home address sits within, find your county council here. Please note, the Awards recognise county councils to confirm eligibility rather than postal service districts.
Can I submit a self-published book to the East Anglian Book Awards?
Yes, self-published books are eligible for these awards, providing they meet our eligibility requirements, including that they have an ISBN, have been commercially available in physical bookshops and are available to buy in hard copy as well as e-book form.
I live between two (or more) addresses, and only one of them is in East Anglia. Do I qualify for the awards?
Yes, as long as your primary place of residence is located in East Anglia.
Are translated works eligible for the awards?
Translated works are eligible for the awards, as long as the original author of the work is an East Anglian resident, or if the book is largely set in East Anglia. Books whose translators alone are residents of East Anglia are not eligible for the awards.
The work must have been translated into English and must be available in bookshops in the UK, in hard copy format.
Are books written by more than one author eligible for the awards?
Yes, books with multiple authors are eligible as long as the book is set in, or about, East Anglia, or the primary author is a resident of East Anglia.
Can one author enter multiple books in the same year?
Yes, an author can enter as many books as they have published within the date parameters of the award. Multiple volumes of the same book count as a single title and therefore may only be entered in one category.
Can I enter my book into more than one category?
Books can only be submitted into one category for the awards, so you will need to decide which best fits your book, and indicate this on the online entry form. Books entered into more than one category will not be considered. The organisers reserve the right to amend the selected category.
I wrote my book while I was living in East Anglia, but I no longer reside there. Am I still eligible?
You must reside in East Anglia at the time of submission in order to be eligible, or, the book must be largely set in East Anglia.
Are illustrated books eligible for the awards?
Yes, we accept illustrated works into all categories of the awards.
When can I expect to find out if I’ve been shortlisted?
The shortlisted books will be announced in October 2025. The winning books will be announced in early 2026.
Should I submit my entry to the Fiction or Debut Novel category?
For the purposes of the Awards, a debut novel is defined as a full-length fiction novel written for adults published by an author who has not previously published a full-length fiction novel for adults. If your entry fits this definition, please submit it to the Debut Novel category.
Why are only novels being considered in the debut category?
The debut novels category is a legacy of the Desmond Elliott Prize. As an agent and publisher, Desmond Elliott worked with novelists. This prize honours the spirit of the Trust set up in his name to award novelists at the beginning of their publishing careers. This means short story collections are not eligible in this category.
I have previously published poetry, short stories or non-fiction. Do I count as a debut novel author?
Yes. Authors who have previously published poetry, short stories, non-fiction or have co-authored a work of fiction are still eligible for the debut fiction category.
Who can I nominate for the City of Literature Award?
We accept nominations for any individual or organisation whose primary residence is in East Anglia. You can nominate as many people or organisations as you like. Please submit a separate entry form for each nominee.
How many times can I vote for the City of Literature Award?
You may vote once. If you vote more than once, only your first vote will be counted. If you are a nominee, you are allowed to vote for yourself.
Who can vote in the City of Literature Award?
As long as your primary residence is in East Anglia, you are allowed to cast a vote.
Why is the prize named the Norwich City of Literature Award?
In 2012 Norwich became England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. While the city is a focal point and hub for the designation, we recognise the network of creative communities and individuals who make up the wider local landscape. Part of Norwich’s pledge as a City of Literature is to champion those people and organisations that contribute to our richly talented literary region.
