What is unique about the Brit Writers' Awards?

The Brit Writers' Awards are open to people of all ages and from all backgrounds – but they must be unpublished.

The BWA is the only major writing awards initiative to promote new creative writing talent in this way. The fantastic £10,000 prize is the largest sum of money offered in a UK writing competition for unpublished writers.

What does 'unpublished' mean?

In the context of the BWA, 'unpublished' means that you have never had an ISBN (international standard book number) for a piece of work you have written which has been published by a traditional publishing house.

This does not include any ISBN you have purchased yourself, for self-publishing or vanity publishing purposes.

Self-published authors are welcome to enter the Brit Writers' Awards Unpublished 2011.

In the songwriting category, 'unpublished' equates to 'unsigned' (meaning you are not, and have never been, signed to a record label either as an individual or as part of a group), or that a song that you have written has never been published by any signed artist or record label.

'Unpublished' spans every category - so a published novelist may not enter the songwriting category, for example, and a 'signed' songwriter may not enter the story categories.

I've had a story or poem published in a magazine – can I enter the Brit Writers' Awards?

Yes. Unless you have an ISBN, we will consider you unpublished. 

Who can enter?

Any British citizen worldwide or resident of the UK who has never had a book published. If you are 16 or under, you should enter into one of the categories for young people. The adult categories are for people aged 17 and over. You can read more about the awards categories here.

What prizes are on offer?

The £10,000 Unpublished Writer of the Year prize will be awarded to one overall winner, selected from all the category winners, who shows outstanding promise and creativity. This £10,000 prize may not be divided or withheld.

There are 12 awards categories altogether. Prizes will be awarded to the author of the best eligible work for each category in the opinion of the judges. Each of the category winners will be presented with a superb laptop and a special trophy to mark their achievement.

In addition to this...

* If a category winner is associated with a BWA member school, their school will receive £5,000 and a special plaque.

* If a category winner is associated with a BWA member community organisation, their organisation will win £2,000 and a special plaque.

* If a category winner is associated with a BWA member business, their organisation will win £2,000 for a charity of their choice and a special plaque.

What difference will winning a Brit Writers' Award make to me?

Winning a Brit Writers' Award is a great accolade for unpublished writers. The overall winner is guaranteed a huge increase in profile, plus exposure of their work. The announcement of the winners will be covered by television, radio and press across the world.

Depending on the category into which they have entered, exciting new opportunities may become available to winners, including possible publishing contracts or arrangements for film and TV adaptations. 

When will this year's winners be announced?

The winners will be announced at a prestigious gala ceremony in summer 2011 (date to be confirmed).

Where will the awards ceremony be held?

We're not revealing details of our ceremony just yet – keep an eye on this page for future updates. Rest assured the event is going to be big and glittering!

Find the answers to other frequently asked questions.