Betty Trask Prize and Awards

べてぃとらすくしょう

First-novel prize for authors under 35 from current or former Commonwealth countries; main Prize (one author) plus Awards (other nominees).

Fiction (first novel)Debut novel prizeRomantic/traditional fictionCommonwealth eligibility

Established: 1984
Organizer: Society of Authors
Category: Genre Fiction
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Newcomer
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around June
Status: Active

Description

The Betty Trask Prize and Awards (established 1984 by the Society of Authors from the bequest of Betty Trask) are annual prizes for first novels by authors under the age of 35 who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. The awards favour traditional or romantic novels (rather than experimental works) and may be given to either published or unpublished works. Typically one author receives a larger 'Prize' (recently around £10,000) and the remainder of the fund (total at least £20,000) is distributed as 'Awards' to other nominees. Since 2009 the main Betty Trask Prize is usually given to a single author, with other recipients receiving Betty Trask Awards.

Prize

Main Prize: One main Betty Trask Prize (recently ~£10,000) awarded to a single author; additional Betty Trask Awards distributed among other nominees; total annual funds at least £20,000.
Cash Prize: 10,000 GBP

Betty Trask Awards distributed among multiple recipients (amount varies by year)
Total of at least £20,000 awarded annually
Official recognition of the award by the Society of Authors

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Eligibility and administrative check / submission	Entries submitted to the Society of Authors; eligibility (age, Commonwealth residence, first novel) checked by administrators	Unknown	Confirmation of application receipt and eligibility check (usually internal process, not publicly announced)
Longlist / shortlist selection	Judges (panel of writers, editors, etc. appointed by the Society of Authors)	Unknown	The shortlist may be announced on the Society of Authors website or in press releases
Final judging and winner announcement	Final judging conducted by the appointed panel of judges	Unknown	Winners are publicly announced by the Society of Authors' official announcement (usually around June) and in the media

Eligibility and administrative check / submission

Judges Entries submitted to the Society of Authors; eligibility (age, Commonwealth residence, first novel) checked by administrators

Pass Rate Unknown

Announcement Confirmation of application receipt and eligibility check (usually internal process, not publicly announced)

Longlist / shortlist selection

Judges Judges (panel of writers, editors, etc. appointed by the Society of Authors)

Pass Rate Unknown

Announcement The shortlist may be announced on the Society of Authors website or in press releases

Final judging and winner announcement

Judges Final judging conducted by the appointed panel of judges

Pass Rate Unknown

Announcement Winners are publicly announced by the Society of Authors' official announcement (usually around June) and in the media

Criteria

Being a debut full-length novel (first novel)
Being under 35 years old at the time of submission
Residing in a current or former Commonwealth country
Preference for traditional or romantic style (experimental literature tends to be excluded)
Literary quality, storytelling, and writing style of the work

Application Tips

Dos

Before applying, be sure to check age (under 35) and residency requirements (current or former Commonwealth country)
Clearly indicate in the application documents that this is a debut work
Follow the format and submission method according to the Society of Authors' official guidelines
Proofread emphasizing the narrative, clear style, and character descriptions
Both published and unpublished works are eligible, but accurately describe publication information

Don''ts

Do not falsely state age, residence, or publication status
Do not submit after the deadline (refer to official guidelines for deadline)
Do not emphasize only experimental works far removed from the traditional/romantic style preferred by this award
Do not ignore submission format or rules

From Judges

Emphasis on strong voice and solid narrative structure
Capturing the reader from the beginning, appealing characters, and consistent tone are important
Be mindful of whether the work aligns with the award's theme of 'traditional/romantic'
Pay attention to both readability and literary quality