Submit To Betty Trask Prize 2023

The Betty Trask Prize is currently open for submission to entrants from UK, Ireland and Commonwealth countries. It is open to first novels by authors

Betty Trask Prize 2023

The Betty Trask Prize is currently open for submission to entrants from UK, Ireland and Commonwealth countries. It is open to first novels by authors under 35.

Betty Trask left a bequest to the Society of Authors in 1983 to fund prizes for first novels written by authors under the age of 35 in a traditional or romantic style.

Each year a single prize winner receives £10,000 and the remaining fund is split between the shortlist.  

The 2024 Betty Trask Prize will close for submissions on 30 November 2023.

The winner of the Betty Trask Prize will receive £10,000 and a fund of £16,200 will be divided equally between shortlisted authors.

Criteria for entry

1. The author must be under the age of 35 on the 31 December 2023.

2. The author must be resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the Commonwealth for three years prior to the date of submission for the award, or a British national, and writing in English.

3. The author must not have had any novel published (other than the one submitted).

4. The work submitted must be in the English language and the work of one author (not a translation).

5. The work submitted must be a novel of a romantic or traditional nature (i.e. not experimental).

6. The work submitted may be published or unpublished:

• The work must have been published between 1 December 2022 and 30 November 2023.

• If unpublished, the work must not have been previously submitted for the Betty Trask Prize.

7. All submissions must have been written by the author and cannot contain the use of AI generated works.

Conditions of entry

Present employees (or anyone currently connected with the administration of the Society of Authors’ grants and prizes) or members of the Management Committee may not apply for any of the grants and prizes administered by the Society of Authors.

The judges’ own books may not be entered for the awards. The judges may call in books if they so wish. The decision of the judges (both as to eligibility and the winning entries) shall be final and they reserve the right not to award the Betty Trask Prize or Awards if, in their opinion, no works entered reach a sufficiently high standard. The publishers of winning books will assist the Society of Authors in the publicity and promotion of the Betty Trask Prize and Awards.

The prize will be awarded at the annual Society of Authors' Awards ceremony in 2024. For any queries, please email prizes@societyofauthors.org.

How to enter

For published and self-published entries: Once the following form is completed please send FIVE copies (non-returnable) of the published book or publisher's proof (bound or unbound) to:

The Betty Trask Prize,

Prizes department,

The Society of Authors,

24 Bedford Row,

London,

WC1R 4EH.

Please note that couriers should use the entrance on Theobalds Road.

Please also upload a digital version of the book when prompted below. If the file you are using is too large for the form, please complete the rest of the entry form and then send the file via email or WeTransfer to prizes@societyofauthors.org.

It is a condition of entry that publishers will put “Winner of the Betty Trask Prize” or “Shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize”, on the cover of subsequent editions of winning/shortlisted books. We have designed roundels with this information on them if you’d like to use those.

You may be asked to provide proof of age if you reach the shortlist stage.

For unpublished entries: Upload to this form one copy of the manuscript formatted in line with the following style guide. Only one manuscript may be submitted.

- A4 paper size

- 12 point font size

- Title and author name should appear clearly on the first page

- Submitted in .doc/.docx/.pdf format

- File name should include book title

Submit