This is a list of British literary awards.

Literature in general

* Barbellion Prize, for ill and disabled writers * Bristol Festival of Ideas Book Prize, for a book which "presents new, important and challenging ideas" * British Book Awards, the "Nibbies" * Costa Book Awards (formerly the Whitbread book awards) * Guardian First Book Award *

International Rubery Book Award The Rubery International Book Award (founded in 2010 by Heather Painter) is the largest cash award for books published by independent publishers and self published authors in Great Britain. The ''London Review of Books'' described it as "independe ...

* Jhalak Prize *

John Llewellyn Rhys Prize The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize was a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama) by an author from the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth aged 35 or under, written in English and publis ...

Ondaatje Prize The Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize is an annual literary award given by the Royal Society of Literature. The £10,000 award is for a work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry that evokes the "spirit of a place", and is written by someon ...

* The Orwell Prize *

Saltire Society Literary Awards The Saltire Society Literary Awards are made annually by the Saltire Society. The awards seek to recognise books which are either by "living authors of Scottish descent or residing in Scotland," or which deal with "the work or life of a Scot or ...

Somerset Maugham Award The Somerset Maugham Award is a British literary prize given each year by the Society of Authors. Set up by William Somerset Maugham in 1947 the awards enable young writers to enrich their work by gaining experience in foreign countries. The awa ...

* The Warwick Prize for Writing *

Wellcome Book Prize Wellcome Book Prize (2009–2019 — paused) is an annual British literary award sponsored by Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London, in the United Kingdom. It was established i ...

Fiction

Fiction in general

*Bath Novel Award *

Commonwealth Writers Prize Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...

Dundee International Book Prize The Dundee International Book Prize was awarded from 2000 to 2016. It billed itself as the UK's premier prize for debut novelists. It included a £5,000 cash award. The annual award was for an unpublished debut novel on any theme and in any genre ...

Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize The Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize is a British literary prize established in 1963 in tribute to Geoffrey Faber, founder and first Chairman of the publisher Faber & Faber. It recognises a single volume of poetry or fiction by a United Kingdom, Irish ...

* Goldsmiths Prize *

Hawthornden Prize The Hawthornden Prize is a British literary award that was established in 1919 by Alice Warrender, who was born at Hawthornden Castle. Authors under the age of 41 are awarded on the quality of their "imaginative literature", which can be written ...

* James Tait Black Memorial Prize, for fiction *

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...

(formerly the Man Booker Prize) * Rathbones Folio Prize *

Republic of Consciousness Prize The Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses is an annual British literary prize founded by the author Neil Griffiths. It rewards fiction published by UK and Irish small presses, defined as those with fewer than five full-time employees ...

for small presses * Wales Book of the Year * WH Smith Literary Award *

Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize The Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize was presented from 1967 until 2003 by the Royal Society of Literature for the best regional novel of the year. It is named after the novelist Winifred Holtby who was noted for her novels set in the rural scenes ...

* Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction)

Humour

* Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize *Comedy Women In Print, the UK and Ireland's first comedy literary prize for women writers

Crime

CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger is an annual award given by the British Crime Writers' Association for best thriller of the year. The award is sponsored by the estate of Ian Fleming. It is given to a title that fits the broadest definition of th ...

, for a thriller * CWA New Blood Dagger, for a debut crime novel * Dagger in the Library, for a crime writer, chosen by librarians *

Duncan Lawrie International Dagger The CWA International Dagger (formerly known as the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger) is an award given by the Crime Writers' Association for best translated crime novel of the year. The winning author and translator receives an ornamental Dagger ...

, for a translated crime novel * Gold Dagger, for a crime novel *McIlvanney Prize, for a Scottish crime novel *

Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award The Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award is one of the UK's top crime-fiction awards, sponsored by Theakston's Old Peculier. It is awarded annually at Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of ...

First novel

Author's Club First Novel Award The Authors' Club Best First Novel Award is awarded by the Authors' Club to the most promising first novel of the year, written by a British author and published in the UK during the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is presented. ...

Betty Trask Award The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. Each year the awards total £20,000, with one author receiving a larger prize amount, called the ...

Desmond Elliott Prize The Desmond Elliott Prize is an annual award for the best debut novel written in English and published in the UK. The winning novel can be from any genre of fiction and must exhibit depth and breadth with a compelling narrative. The winner receiv ...

* Ruth Hadden Memorial Award *

Waverton Good Read Award The Waverton Good Read Award was founded in 2003 by villagers in Waverton, Chester, England, and is based on ''Le Prix de la Cadière d'Azur'', a literary prize awarded by a Provençal village. Adult debut novels written by UK residents and pu ...

Historical

* Walter Scott Prize

For young people

*Bath Children's Novel Award * Branford Boase Award *Stockport Children's Book Awards

Poetry

* Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize * Cholmondeley Award *

Christopher Tower Poetry Prizes Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

Eric Gregory Award The Eric Gregory Award is a literary award given annually by the Society of Authors for a collection by British poets under the age of 30. The award was founded in 1960 by Dr. Eric Gregory to support and encourage young poets. In 2021, the seven ...

* Forward Prizes for Poetry * Gaisford Prize *

* Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine * Michael Marks Poetry Awards * National Poetry Competition * Newdigate prize *

Poetry Book Awards Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

* Poetry London Prize * Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry *

T. S. Eliot Prize The T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry is a prize that was, for many years, awarded by the Poetry Book Society (UK) to "the best collection of new verse in English first published in the UK or the Republic of Ireland" in any particular year. The Priz ...

Ted Hughes Award The Ted Hughes Award is an annual prize given to a living UK poet for new work in poetry. It is awarded each spring in recognition of a work from the previous year. Background The award was established in 2009 with the permission of Carol Hughes i ...

Welsh Poetry Competition The International Welsh Poetry Competition is an annual English language poetry award and the largest of its kind in Wales. The contest was founded in 2007 by Welsh writer, poet and photographer Dave Lewis. It was launched on St David's Day 2007 ...

Speculative fiction

Arthur C. Clarke Award The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. It is named after British author Arthur C. Clarke, who gave a grant to establish the award i ...

* British Fantasy Award *

BSFA Awards The BSFA Awards are literary awards presented annually since 1970 by the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) to honour works in the genre of science fiction. Nominees and winners are chosen based on a vote of BSFA members. More recently, m ...

David Gemmell Legend Awards The David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy, established in memory of David Gemmell, were awarded from 2009 to 2018. In 2009, only the Legend Award for best fantasy novel was awarded. Beginning in 2010 the Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer and th ...

Kitschies The Kitschies are British literary prizes presented annually for "the year's most progressive, intelligent and entertaining works that contain elements of the speculative or fantastic" published in the United Kingdom. Awards and criteria The Ki ...

Non-fiction

Alan Ball Local History Awards The Alan Ball Local History Awards in the United Kingdom exist to recognise outstanding contributions in local history publishing (both in print and in new media), and to encourage the publishing of such works by public libraries and local authorit ...

* Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction *

Bread and Roses Award The Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing is a British literary award presented for the best radical book published each year, with ''radical book'' defined as one that is "informed by socialist, anarchist, environmental, feminist and anti-r ...

, for radical, left-wing writing *

CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction The CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction is a British literary award established in 1978 by the Crime Writers' Association, who have awarded the Gold Dagger fiction award since 1955. In 1978 and 1979 only there was also a silver award. From 1995 to 200 ...

, for a work of crime non-fiction * Duff Cooper Prize *

Hessell-Tiltman Prize The Hessell-Tiltman History Prize is awarded to the best work of non-fiction of historical content covering a period up to and including World War II, and published in the year of the award. The books are to be of high literary merit, but not pr ...

, for a work of historical content and high literary merit * James Tait Black Memorial Prize, for biography * Orwell Prize for political writing * Royal Society Insight investment Science Book Prize for popular science * Samuel Johnson Prize * Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize, for biography or memoir *

Wainwright Prize The Wainwright Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of general outdoors, nature and UK-based travel writing. In 2020 it was split into the Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing and the Wainwright Prize for writing on globa ...

for outdoors, nature, UK-based travel writing * Whitfield Prize, for history *

William Hill Sports Book of the Year The William Hill Sports Book of the Year is an annual British sports literary award sponsored by bookmaker William Hill. The award is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing. It was first awarded in 1989, and was devised by Graham ...

* Wolfson History Prize, for history

Other

* The Barker Book Awards - Celebrating Dogs in Literature * Brunel University African Poetry Prize * Caine Prize for African Fiction *

Commonwealth Short Story Prize The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000 to 5,000 words). The prize is open to citizens of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations aged 18 and over. The Commonwealth Short ...

, for unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words) * SI Leeds Literary Prize, for unpublished fiction (more than 30,000 words) by Black and Asian women in the UK * Queen Mary ''Wasafiri'' New Writing Prize, judged in three categories: fiction, poetry, and life writing; open to anyone who has not published a complete book

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:British literary awards * Lists of literary awards

Awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award ...