Warwick Prize for Writing
うぉーりっく・ぷらいず・ふぉー・らいてぃんぐ
Biennial international literary prize hosted by the University of Warwick targeting English-language works. Honors outstanding writing aligned with a theme set each time, regardless of genre. Prize money is £25,000.
International Literary PrizeEnglish-language works onlyCross-genre (novels, poetry, non-fiction, academic research, etc.)
- Established
- 2008
- Organizer
- University of Warwick (Warwick University)
- Category
- Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
- Selection Method
- Recommendation
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- Biennial (every 2 years)
- Status
- Ended
Description
The Warwick Prize for Writing was launched by the University of Warwick in 2008, with the first award in 2009. It is a biennial international literary prize evaluating excellence in English-language writing, targeting works (novels, poetry, non-fiction, academic research, plays, e-books, etc.) aligned with a different theme each time. Nominations were initially from Warwick faculty, students, and alumni; since 2014, nominations from the publishing industry have also been accepted. Past winners include Naomi Klein (2009), Peter Forbes (2011), Alice Oswald (2013), Phil Klay (2015), and others.
Prize
- Main Prize
- £25,000 prize money (winner)
- Cash Prize
- 25,000 GBP
- Increased visibility through shortlist/longlist inclusion
- Publicity benefits through winning/nomination
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomination and candidate sorting (longlist creation) | Prize Management Group handles operations, with each judging panel (usually around 5 members) sorting nominations. Example: In 2009, 20 works made the longlist. | Depends on total nominations (no clear published figures) | Announced on university official site or press releases (e.g., longlist announced in November 2008). |
| Shortlist selection | Judging panel selects shortlist of usually around 6 works from longlist (each round has a chair). | Selection from longlist approx. 30% (e.g., 20→6) | Shortlist announced on university official site and media (e.g., announced on 2009-01-22 in 2009). |
| Final selection and winner determination | Same panel reviews shortlist works for final selection. Chair examples: China Miéville (2009), Michael Rosen (2011), Ian Sansom (2013), A. L. Kennedy (2015). | Winner from shortlist approx. 16.7% (e.g., 1/6) | Winner announced via university official announcement and major media (e.g., announced on 2009-02-24 in 2009). |
Nomination and candidate sorting (longlist creation)
Judges
Prize Management Group handles operations, with each judging panel (usually around 5 members) sorting nominations. Example: In 2009, 20 works made the longlist.
Pass Rate
Depends on total nominations (no clear published figures)
Announcement
Announced on university official site or press releases (e.g., longlist announced in November 2008).
Shortlist selection
Judges
Judging panel selects shortlist of usually around 6 works from longlist (each round has a chair).
Pass Rate
Selection from longlist approx. 30% (e.g., 20→6)
Announcement
Shortlist announced on university official site and media (e.g., announced on 2009-01-22 in 2009).
Final selection and winner determination
Judges
Same panel reviews shortlist works for final selection. Chair examples: China Miéville (2009), Michael Rosen (2011), Ian Sansom (2013), A. L. Kennedy (2015).
Pass Rate
Winner from shortlist approx. 16.7% (e.g., 1/6)
Announcement
Winner announced via university official announcement and major media (e.g., announced on 2009-02-24 in 2009).
Criteria
- Quality of English-language writing (writing excellence)
- Fit to the year's theme
- Originality, literary/academic value
- Cross-genre innovation and influence
- Work's completeness (specify bibliographic info or translator credits if applicable)
Application Tips
Dos
- Always confirm the theme for that year in advance (clearly demonstrate theme suitability)
- Confirm the work is in English. For translated works, clearly specify translator information
- Submit accurate metadata such as bibliographic info, publication date/month, publisher, etc.
- Follow proper nomination procedures through publisher or internal recommender (nominations from publishing industry allowed since 2014)
- As a cross-genre prize, academic books, poetry, plays, etc. are eligible, but emphasize the work's completeness and appeal to readers
Don''ts
- Do not submit ignoring theme suitability
- Do not submit non-English manuscripts as-is (high chance of ineligibility if no English translation)
- Do not submit with incomplete bibliographic info or omitted contact details
- Do not submit without following published application rules or nomination procedures
From Judges
- Judges prioritize the quality of the writing itself first
- Theme suitability, originality, and completeness are key in selection
- When nominating, please specify basic evaluation info such as publisher, publication details, translator, etc.
Related Awards
- Other awards and activities by University of Warwick
- List of British literary awards
- List of literary awards