Publishers

The Wellcome Book Prize is (still!) on pause. There will not be a Book Prize for 2021-22. 

Key Dates

• April 2019

  Winner announced

• March 2019

  Shortlist announced

• February 2019

  Longlist announced

Eligibility and rules

• Books must be published by a UK-based publisher/imprint during the specified dates (between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018 for the 2019 prize). If a book has been previously published outside the UK it will only be eligible if the original date of publication outside the UK is within the previous two years, ie not earlier than 1 January 2016 for the 2019 prize.
• Books published in English translation are eligible, provided that they have been published in English during the specified period. If a translated book wins, two-thirds of the prize money will be awarded to the author and one-third to the translator.
• Books must not be written by more than two authors. If a coauthored book wins, the prize money may have to be shared between coauthors. The most appropriate split of the prize money should be confirmed by the publisher.
• Books cannot be reissues.
• Both fiction and non-fiction books are eligible, so long as medicine or medical science is central to their theme. Collections of original short stories written by a single author are eligible, but anthologies will not be considered. Poetry is not eligible.
• Academic textbooks, scholarly monographs, diet books and picture-led books are not eligible, even if they are relevant to medicine or medical science.
• Children’s books will only be accepted if they have also been published by an adult imprint within the specified dates.
• Self-published books are not eligible where the author is the publisher or where a company has been specifically set up to publish the book.
• Ebook submissions will only be accepted from an established imprint and on the condition that ten copies can be downloaded for the judges’ consideration. In the event that an ebook is shortlisted, the publisher must undertake to produce hard copies and make these available for sale as soon as the shortlist is announced.
• The decision of the judging panel as to whether a book is eligible shall be binding and no correspondence shall be entered into.
• No entry shall be ineligible because its author has won either the Wellcome Book Prize or any other prize previously.

Submissions

• UK publishing imprints may enter up to three books with scheduled publication dates between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018.
• The deadline for submissions is 7 September 2018. Each submission must be accompanied by a completed entry form. If finished copies are not available, bound proofs may be submitted in the first instance, on the condition that they are of good quality and that their content reflects that of the final book. If proofs are submitted, final copies should be sent in as soon as they are available.
• Ten copies of each entry must be submitted to Midas Public Relations (with the submission form) and not directly to the judges. In the event that a book is longlisted, publishers will be required to provide further copies gratis for promotional purposes.
• The judges may also, not later than 15 December 2018, call in any book published between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. In that event, the publisher will be asked to submit a completed entry form, along with ten copies of the book.
• No books submitted by publishers or called in by the judges will be returned to the publishers.
• The prize is not open to employees or contractors of the Wellcome Trust or any of its associated companies, or their direct family members, or to any person directly or indirectly involved in the organisation or the running of the prize, or their direct family members.

Contact Details

• Submission and eligibility

  Ashley BaughMidas PRashley.baugh@midaspr.co.uk020 7361 7860

• Prize press enquiries

  Hannah McMillanMidas PRhannah.mcmillan@midaspr.co.uk020 7361 7860

• General press enquiries

  Kate MooresWellcome Collectionk.moores@wellcome.ac.uk020 7611 5713

• Management of the prize

  Francesca BarrieWellcome Collectionf.barrie@wellcome.ac.uk

• Marketing enquiries

  Josephine FinnWellcome Collectionj.finn@wellcome.ac.uk