Terms and conditions for the Children’s Booker Prize 2027 child judge competition

The Children’s Booker Prize and the child judge competition is managed by the Booker Prize Foundation (BPF). BPF is a company limited by guarantee in England & Wales (Company No. 4213467) and a registered charity (in England and Wales Charity No. 1090049). “BPF’s” registered office is at Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. BPF has one wholly owned subsidiary Booker Prize Trading Limited (a company limited by shares in England and Wales no. 04394720) and reference to BPF throughout these Terms and Conditions, includes Booker Prize Trading Limited.  

For the avoidance of doubt, in addition to the key competition information outlined on this webpage, the following supplementary terms and conditions apply:  

1. Eligibility
   a. Children who are a relative of any of BPF’s employees, trustees, advisory committee members, judges or direct partners are not eligible to be child judges. Children who are a relative of any authors, illustrators or translators, and their publishers and agents, whose books are being submitted, are not eligible to be child judges. 
    
2. Entries 
   a. By entering the competition, entrants warrant that all information submitted by them is true, current, and complete. Entrants also warrant that they are the copyright owners of any answers submitted, and BPF’s use of such works will not infringe the rights of any third party.  
   b. All entries must be written in English. 
   c. Parents, carers or educators who submit an entry must confirm on the entry form that the child’s answers provided are the sole work of the child entrant, and that Artificial Intelligence tools have not been used to create or enhance applications.
   d. All entries must comply with the maximum word count for any relevant section of the entry form.
   e. Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, or any other unsuitable material; BPF reserves the right to disqualify entries containing such material.
   f. Entries can only be accepted via the online entry form. Postal entries or entries submitted by email will not be considered.
   g. Round 1 entries will be accepted from 00.01am BST on 28 April 2026 until 5pm BST on 2 June 2026. Round 2 entries will be accepted by invite only for longlisted entrants from 00.01am BST on 29 June 2026 and 5pm BST, 15 September 2026. Round 3 video calls with shortlisted entrants will be arranged to take place between 9am BST, 5 October 2026 and 5pm BST, 9 October 2026.
   h. Entries received outside of these entry periods will not be considered. BPF cannot be held responsible for any technical failure during the entry window. It is advised that entries are submitted well in advance of the closing dates and times.
   i. If entrants have emailed the administrators and are awaiting a response, the entry deadlines still stand. Unless the competition administrators have explicitly instructed otherwise, all entries must be submitted before the deadlines in order to be considered.
   j. Only one entry is permitted per child entrant. If more than one entry is submitted, only the child entrant’s first submission will be considered.
   k. Entries cannot be returned, so please retain a copy.
   l. If any entry suggests a safeguarding issue, or has troubling content, BPF may, if required, take advice from the NSPCC, and may refer the application to the relevant authorities. Further details can be found in the Safeguarding policy.
    
3. Permissions
   a. When entries are submitted by a parent/carer, parental consent will be taken digitally at the point of entry. When entries are submitted by an educator, the entrant submitting the application will be responsible for (i) obtaining parental/carer consent in advance of the application, and (ii) sharing this information page, including the terms and conditions, with the parent/carer to ensure compliance with all terms and eligibility requirements. Evidence of consent, as well as proof of age, residency or identity, may be requested by BPF at any time during the prize cycle. Failure to supply this evidence may result in the application being rejected.
   b. By entering the competition (including via submission by an educator) the child entrant’s parent/carer automatically grants to BPF a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to the copyright in the answers given by the child (“the Entry Material”) for the following purposes; to administer the child judge competition, to publish and broadcast (across all media) the child’s answers online and on any other platforms using their first name and age only, and to use or share the Entry Material anonymously for reference and guidance in future years of the prize. This licence will be deemed to include all the necessary rights and permissions to enable such use by BPF.
   c. By giving their consent to progress to Rounds 2 and beyond in the competition, the child entrant’s parent/carer grants BPF all consents as may be required for their child’s first name, age, school name and Entry Material to be used to promote their involvement should they be selected as a child judge. They also permit this usage to be extended to third parties contracted by BPF, for the promotion of the Children’s Booker Prize (“the Prize”), both online and in print. This information will be held by BPF and third parties and permission will be sought and obtained before any use outside of the Prize purposes stated in this clause 3. 
    
4. Competition prizes
   a. BPF reserves the right to amend or replace prizes with a reasonable equivalent at any time. Prizes will be awarded at the sole discretion of BPF, and BPF will not enter into any correspondence relating to the awarding of these prizes, beyond the administration of the prize giving.
   b. No responsibility can be accepted for prizes that are delayed or lost. We are not responsible for any damage to the prizes incurred in the course of delivery; while we will consider a request for a replacement (if available) if the prize arrives in a seriously damaged state, this is solely in our discretion depending on the circumstances. Any damage to or loss of prizes must be reported immediately by email to [email protected].
   c. For the two trips to London for the three child judges, BPF will arrange and pay for standard class return travel for each child judge and one accompanying adult to London from one destination in the UK. BPF will also pay for overnight accommodation at a minimum 3* hotel in London if deemed necessary by BPF due to distance and timings of the events. BPF will also pay up to £100 of subsistence expenses for each trip (incurred to attend the judging meeting or ceremony) paid on the email of receipts to [email protected]. Receipts must be received within one month of the trip. Additional expenses incurred during the trip will not be paid unless the BPF confirms otherwise. The child judge must be available to travel on the date specified.
    
5. General
   a. BPF’s decision as to each stage of the competition is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
   b. BPF reserves the right to disqualify any entry which breaches any of these terms or conditions, or brings BPF into disrepute.
   c. BPF reserves the right to (i) amend these terms and conditions at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control (and any material amendment will be notified to entrants by email as soon as reasonably practical), (ii) disqualify any entrant who breaches these terms and conditions, has acted fraudulently in any way or brings, or is likely to bring, BPF into disrepute (as judged in BPF’s sole discretion).
   d. BPF, its partners and/or any other organisation associated with this competition cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction, nor for any other problem with any server, internet access, system or otherwise which may result in any entry being lost or not properly registered or recorded. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.
   e. To the extent permitted by law, BPF will not be liable to entrants, or parents / carers / educators (as applicable) for any loss or damage (whether such damage or losses were foreseen, foreseeable, known or otherwise) including financial, reputational loss or disappointment.
   f. If any of these clauses should be determined to be illegal, invalid, or otherwise unenforceable then it shall be severed and deleted from these Terms and Conditions and the remaining clauses shall survive and remain in full force and effect.
   g. BPF accepts no responsibility if entrants ignore these conditions.
   h. These terms and conditions are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of England & Wales, and the courts of England & Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction determining any question or issue in relation to them.