Eilís Dillon Award (part of the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards)

えいりす・でぃろんしょう

Part of an annual suite of literary awards for children's books in Ireland, the Eilís Dillon Award is presented to debut children's books (first published works).

Book of the YearHonour Award for FictionHonour Award for IllustrationEilís Dillon Award (First Children's Book)Judges' Special AwardJunior Juries' AwardReading Hero Award

Established: 1995
Organizer: Children's Books Ireland (CBI)
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Application Deadline: around September
Announcement Period: around May
Status: Active

Description

The Eilís Dillon Award is part of the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards, administered by Children's Books Ireland (formerly Bisto/CBI Book of the Year Awards, currently sponsored by KPMG), and named after writer Eilís Dillon as a newcomer award. It targets children's books in English or Irish by writers or illustrators born or resident in Ireland, with judging conducted by a CBI-appointed panel of judges (and junior juries where applicable). In recent years, the Children’s Book of the Year receives €6,000, while multiple honour awards including the Eilís Dillon Award each receive €2,000.

Prize

Main Prize: Eilís Dillon Award: Trophy and cash prize awarded to debut children's book authors (current amount: €2,000).
Cash Prize: 2,000 EUR

Trophy
Promotion and recognition enhancement for the winning work (announcements via Children's Books Ireland, etc.)
Linkage with other categories in the same series (e.g., Children’s Book of the Year)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Submission	Children's Books Ireland handles submissions reception and eligibility checks (eligible: writers/illustrators born or resident in Ireland; submissions accepted in English or Irish)	—	Submission details and deadlines published on CBI's official website
Shortlist	Judging panel appointed by CBI (writers, editors, industry experts, etc.)	—	Shortlist announced on official website and press releases
Final judging	Judging panel determines winners in each category (Eilís Dillon Award emphasizes debut works)	—	Winners announced at awards ceremony and CBI promotions (usually May)
Junior Juries (Children's Choice)	Multiple junior juries selected nationwide (children's judging groups; up to 10 groups participated in the past)	—	Junior Juries Award announced separately based on children's voting results

Submission

Judges Children's Books Ireland handles submissions reception and eligibility checks (eligible: writers/illustrators born or resident in Ireland; submissions accepted in English or Irish)

Announcement Submission details and deadlines published on CBI's official website

Shortlist

Judges Judging panel appointed by CBI (writers, editors, industry experts, etc.)

Announcement Shortlist announced on official website and press releases

Final judging

Judges Judging panel determines winners in each category (Eilís Dillon Award emphasizes debut works)

Announcement Winners announced at awards ceremony and CBI promotions (usually May)

Junior Juries (Children's Choice)

Judges Multiple junior juries selected nationwide (children's judging groups; up to 10 groups participated in the past)

Announcement Junior Juries Award announced separately based on children's voting results

Criteria

Quality of the work (completeness of text and narrative)
Suitability for target age and appeal to readers
Originality and presentation of themes
Quality of illustrations (for illustration works)
Eilís Dillon Award specific criterion: Completeness and future potential as a debut work

Application Tips

Dos

Check eligibility (born or resident in Ireland) in advance
Strictly adhere to submission requirements (language: English or Irish, format, page count, etc.)
When applying for the Eilís Dillon Award, clearly indicate that it is a debut work
Meticulously proofread and edit the manuscript to enhance readability
Prepare and submit publisher information, author bio, and work synopsis