The award partners are the Norwich-based National Centre for Writing, Jarrold and the Eastern Daily Press. They are supported by the UEA Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the PACCAR Foundation.
We welcome entries in the following categories:
We welcome illustrated books in every category.
A winner from each of the six 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 courtesy of the PACCAR Foundation.
This year will also see the return of the ‘Exceptional Contribution Award’ in local publishing.
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 Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and the area of Fenland District Council. A map detailing the eligibility region is available here.
Books must have been published for the first time between 31st July 2021 and 05 August 2022. They must have been commercially available in physical bookshops.
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.
Entries must be made in two parts. Both parts must be completed by the closing date of 12 noon on 05 August 2022:
A separate entry form must be submitted for each individual book.
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.
This shortlist will be published in the Eastern Daily Press, Evening News, East Anglian Daily Times and online. Shortlisted authors or their publishers will also be informed directly.
During 2022-23 the East Anglian Book Awards will move to a new timetable, with the shortlist announced in autumn 2022 and the winners announced in early 2023.
Please see below for 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 and Essex, and the area of Fenland District Council. Please visit this map and click on the map pins, which will reveal the outline of the areas comprising the East Anglian Book Awards eligibility region.
Why are you only accepting digital copies of submitted books to the awards this year?
The National Centre for Writing, Jarrold, and Eastern Daily Press offices have been adapted to meet the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, with most staff working flexibly between offices and home. Therefore, we are unable to accept postal entries or deliveries for this year’s award.
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 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.
Why is Cambridge not included in the eligibility region?
The East Anglian Book Awards is a partnership between National Centre for Writing, Jarrold, and the Eastern Daily Press, supported by UEA. The region of East Anglia is defined for these awards by the distribution area of the Eastern Daily Press and its affiliated publications.
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.
I see that the Awards will run to a new timetable in 2022-2023. When can I expect to find out if I’ve been shortlisted?
The shortlisted books will be announced in autumn 2022. The winning books will be announced in early 2023.
