Waverton Good Read Award

わゔぁーとん・ぐっど・りーどしょう

Community-run British literary prize (founded 2003) judged by local village readers for debut novels by UK residents; a children's category was introduced in 2011.

Adult debut novelsChildren's literatureBritish fictionFirst book awards

Established: 2003
Organizer: Waverton Good Read (run by Waverton residents / volunteers)
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Newcomer
Frequency: 1 per year
Status: Active

Description

The Waverton Good Read Award was founded in 2003 by villagers in Waverton, Cheshire. It was inspired by a Provençal village prize (Le Prix de la Cadière d'Azur) and is notable for being judged by ordinary local readers rather than professional literary figures. Eligibility is for adult debut novels by UK residents published in the previous twelve months. A separate Waverton Good Read Children's Award was introduced in 2011. The award is run by local volunteers; winners and shortlists are published on the award website and reported in the press. (Note: 2019/20 saw the shortlist and winner announced on the same day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Prize

Main Prize: Community literary prize: recognition, publicity and local award honours; no specific cash prize is stated on the referenced page.

Publicity and media exposure
Inclusion on the official winners list
Local recognition / certificate

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Eligibility check	Organisers / volunteer coordinators	—	Eligibility determined by organisers according to rules (debut novel, UK resident, published in previous 12 months).
Reading & nomination (longlist)	Village readers (local volunteers) who read eligible books and nominate titles	—	Longlist / nominations produced by the reading group; timing varies by year.
Shortlist	Panel/selection of village readers	—	Shortlist announced publicly (website/press) in usual years; 2019/20 was exceptional.
Final vote and winner selection	Village readers (final decision by reader vote)	—	Winner announced publicly (website and press). In 2019/20 shortlist and winner were announced on the same day due to COVID-19.

Eligibility check

Judges Organisers / volunteer coordinators

Announcement Eligibility determined by organisers according to rules (debut novel, UK resident, published in previous 12 months).

Reading & nomination (longlist)

Judges Village readers (local volunteers) who read eligible books and nominate titles

Announcement Longlist / nominations produced by the reading group; timing varies by year.

Shortlist

Judges Panel/selection of village readers

Announcement Shortlist announced publicly (website/press) in usual years; 2019/20 was exceptional.

Final vote and winner selection

Judges Village readers (final decision by reader vote)

Announcement Winner announced publicly (website and press). In 2019/20 shortlist and winner were announced on the same day due to COVID-19.

Criteria

Debut novel (first novel by the author)
Author resident in the UK
Published within the previous 12 months
Appeal to general readers (readability, storytelling, character and engagement)
Overall quality of writing and originality

Application Tips

Dos

Check the entry conditions in advance (debut novel, author residing in the UK, published within the past 12 months).
Check the official website for the latest submission methods and submission destinations, and prepare already published books (print editions or circulating e-book versions).
Emphasize readable expressions and storytelling for general readers (this award is judged by general readers).
Prepare a press kit and author introduction in preparation for publicity upon winning.

Don''ts

Do not send books that do not match the entry requirements (not a debut novel, not UK resident, publication period exceeded).
Do not focus solely on specialized or overly experimental writing aimed at professional reviewers (consider reader judging).
Do not use submission formats or unofficial submission procedures not specified on the official website.

From Judges

We read as 'ordinary readers.' Clear narrative style, relatable characters, and compelling developments that keep you reading are highly valued.
Novelty and originality are important, but expressions that effectively communicate to readers are given the highest priority.
Having publication and distribution arrangements in place ensures that the necessary editions can be reliably provided for judging.