The Novel Prize

Giramondo Publishing, Fitzcarraldo Editions and New Directions are pleased to announce that The Novel Prize, the biennial award for a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by published and unpublished writers around the world, is open for entries.

The Novel Prize, now in its third edition, offers US$10,000 to the winner and simultaneous publication of their novel in Australia and New Zealand by Giramondo, in the UK and Ireland by Fitzcarraldo Editions, and in North America by New Directions. The prize recognises works which explore and expand the possibilities of the form, and are innovative and imaginative in style.

The Novel Prize is managed by the three publishers working in collaboration. Entries are open from 1 April to 1 June 2024, with Giramondo reading submissions from Asia and Australasia, Fitzcarraldo Editions from Africa and Europe, and New Directions from the Americas. A shortlist will be made public in late 2024, with the winner announced in early 2025. The winning novel will be published in early 2026.

The inaugural winner of The Novel Prize was Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au, which was selected from over 1500 entries worldwide. Cold Enough for Snow was published in Australia, the UK and the US in 2022, and in over twenty territories worldwide. It was the recipient of the Victorian Prize for Literature in 2023.

The joint winners of the second round of the prize, It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over by Anne de Marcken and Tell by Jonathan Buckley, were published in March this year.

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Terms and conditions

Please read these eligibility and entry rules carefully before submitting. Submission of an entry is taken as acceptance of the entry rules. For any queries not covered below, please contact info@giramondopublishing.com. 

1. The competition is open to published and unpublished writers around the world. Writers based in Asia and Oceania should submit to Giramondo Publishing. Writers based in Africa and Europe should submit to Fitzcarraldo Editions; writers based in the Americas should submit via New Directions. For more information please visit thenovelprize.com.  

2. Entrants residing in Asia and Oceania (which includes Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) should submit a full manuscript of their novel (minimum 30,000 words) to Giramondo Publishing via our Submittable portal. The manuscript should be double-spaced, 12pt, in an easily legible font, and include page numbers. 

3. Each submission should include a cover letter including a biographical note, contact details and brief outline of the novel. 

4. Only submissions received by midnight on the night of 1 June 2024 (Sydney time, GMT+10) will be considered. 

5. Entries that are incomplete, corrupted or submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

6. The entry must be the entrant’s own original creation and must not infringe upon the right or copyright of any person or entity.

7. Co-authored entries will not be accepted. 

8. Writers who have existing contracts, or who have previously held contracts, with publishers for books of fiction, non-fiction or poetry are eligible to enter. 

9. Writers who have published writing (fiction, non-fiction or poetry) in magazines and journals are eligible to enter.

10. Writers may submit only one proposal per iteration of the prize. 

11. The novel must be written in English (no translations).

12. Submissions may be made by the author of the novel or (if they have one) their agent.

13. There are no age restrictions, and we welcome submissions from writers of all backgrounds. 

14. Submissions from writers residing outside of Asia and Oceania will not be considered or passed on to the relevant publishers.

15. The novel must be original and should not have been previously published anywhere in full in any printed, publicly accessible form, e.g. anthology, magazine, newspaper. It is also taken to mean published online, with the exception of personal blogs and personal websites.

16. A shortlist of up to six novels will be announced in late 2024. The winner will be announced in early 2025, and published in early 2026. 

17. Giramondo Publishing, Fitzcarraldo Editions and New Directions reserve the right to organise a meeting or phone call with all shortlisted writers to discuss their novel before the award of the prize. 

18. Unsuccessful entrants will not be contacted.

19. No editorial feedback will be provided to unsuccessful entrants.

20. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the judging process.

21. Giramondo Publishing, Fitzcarraldo Editions and New Directions will have the exclusive world rights to publish the winning novel.

22. The winner of the prize will receive US$10,000 from Giramondo Publishing, Fitzcarraldo Editions and New Directions as an advance against royalties towards publication of the winning novel.

23. Giramondo Publishing, Fitzcarraldo Editions and New Directions reserve the right not to award the prize this year, or to make multiple offers of publication. 

24. Only submissions which meet all Terms and Conditions will be considered.

25. By entering this competition, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

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The previous winners of The Novel Prize.