On this page you’ll find the publisher rules, eligibility criteria, deadlines and submissions process for entering the Children’s Booker Prize

The Children’s Booker Prize will be awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible work of fiction for children aged eight to 12.  

The work must be written by an author of any nationality, either originally in English or translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. 

Only publishers can submit entries to the Children’s Booker Prize. Authors, translators, illustrators and agents are not permitted to enter directly.

Illustration by Henri Campeã

Submissions for the Children’s Booker Prize 2027 are now closed.

Eligible works were those published between 1 November 2025 and 31 October 2026.

 

Deadlines

Final assets

Please ensure that you have supplied final versions of your print and digital assets for all of your submitted titles by 14 August 2026. These will be utilised to prepare for the public shortlist announcement in November 2026.  

Children’s Booker Prize 2027 announcement dates 

Announcement of adult judges, child judge recruitment and publisher submissions: Tuesday, 28 April 2026

Announcement of shortlist and child judges: Tuesday, 24 November 2026

Ceremony and announcement of winner: Tuesday, 2 February 2027  

Publisher queries 

Please contact the Booker Prize Foundation: [email protected]