Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

Annual literary prize hosted by The Guardian newspaper for children's and young adult fiction published in the UK.

Children's literatureYoung adultChildren's fictionYoung adult fiction

Established: 1965
Organizer: The Guardian (newspaper)
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Status: Ended

Description

The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize was established by The Guardian newspaper (1965) and first awarded in 1967, targeting fiction for children and young adults. Awards are given to authors, and past winners cannot re-enter (lifetime award). Publishers submit works (max 10 per publisher), selected via longlist → shortlist → winner. Eligible publication periods and schedules were adjusted (e.g., 2001 cycle change), with longlists generally in May-June, shortlists in September, and winners in October-November. Prize money has been £1,500 since around 2000. It appears to have effectively ceased operations since 2016, with no official discontinuation announced.

Prize

Main Prize: Literary prize for children's fiction awarded to the author (awarded to the author of the winning work). Includes publicity and other benefits from The Guardian newspaper.
Cash Prize: 1,500 GBP

Introduction and publicity in The Guardian newspaper
Related opportunities such as summer programs or Young Critics contest (student sub-prizes, book sets, school visits, etc.)
Winners ineligible for future submissions (lifetime award)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Entry (publisher submission)	Publishers submit works (publisher entry stage). Judging has not yet begun.	—	Publisher submission deadline is usually April 30
Longlist selection	The Guardian children's book editors (Julia Eccleshare participated in longlist selection 2000-2016) involved in selecting the longlist.	—	Longlist (approx. 7-8 works) announced annually May-June
Shortlist selection	Typically 3 children's literature authors (almost always including recent winners) conduct selection, with Julia Eccleshare often chairing.	—	Shortlist (max 4 works) announced annually September
Final judging and winner determination	The above judging panel (3 authors) ultimately selects 1 work (ties occur in some years).	—	Winner announced annually October-November (before 2000, exceptionally March in some years)

Entry (publisher submission)

Judges Publishers submit works (publisher entry stage). Judging has not yet begun.

Announcement Publisher submission deadline is usually April 30

Longlist selection

Judges The Guardian children's book editors (Julia Eccleshare participated in longlist selection 2000-2016) involved in selecting the longlist.

Announcement Longlist (approx. 7-8 works) announced annually May-June

Shortlist selection

Judges Typically 3 children's literature authors (almost always including recent winners) conduct selection, with Julia Eccleshare often chairing.

Announcement Shortlist (max 4 works) announced annually September

Final judging and winner determination

Judges The above judging panel (3 authors) ultimately selects 1 work (ties occur in some years).

Announcement Winner announced annually October-November (before 2000, exceptionally March in some years)

Criteria

Fiction for children and young adults (generally ages 8+)
Published in the UK (eligible publication period varies by organizers)
Past winners ineligible (lifetime award)
If original in another language, English translation publication eligible for 5 years
Submitted by publishers (submission limits per publisher, possible entry fee)

Application Tips

Dos

If applying as a publisher, adhere to the deadline (usually April 30)
Confirm submission limit (max 10 per publisher) and select highest priority works
Verify eligible publication period and UK publication status in advance
For translated works, confirm English translation publication year is within 5 years
Clearly submit target age, publisher information, and imprint data for the work

Don''ts

Do not re-submit previously awarded works (winners cannot re-enter)
Do not submit after the entry deadline
Do not exceed submission limits
Do not mistakenly enter ineligible genres or age groups

From Judges

Judging by peer children's literature authors favors story completeness and originality that resonates with industry peers
Emphasis on appeal to child/young readers (voice, themes, post-reading impact)
For translations, English translation quality is key (original quality plus translation readability evaluated)