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Rubery Book Award ... what's your story?
The International Rubery Book Award is a globally respected, ethical and prestigious award recognising excellence in writing across all forms of storytelling. Whether literary or genre-led, each work is judged on its execution, originality, and overall impact.
Judged by experienced and reputable judges, the award is open to indie writers, self-published authors, and books published by independent presses.
We believe great writing takes many forms. From literary fiction to compelling genre work, from memoir to children’s books, each entry is judged on its execution, voice, and overall reader impact.
Winning the Rubery Book Award offers authors recognition, credibility, and a platform to stand out in a crowded market.
Our reputation is built on fair, thoughtful judging and a commitment to recognising quality wherever it is found.
We do not upsell.
We are a well-established name in the publishing world. At its heart, the Rubery Book Award exists to honour writing — thoughtfully, fairly, and without compromise.
Enter for 2026
Closing date is 31 March 2026
Entries received after this deadline will automatically be considered for the 2027 awards.
Entries must be either self-published or published by an independent press. Both authors and publishers are welcome to submit books.
To complete your entry, please fill out the online entry form, send us a copy of your book, and pay the required entry fee. Full details can be found here.
Prizes 2026
Book of the Year
£2000 (approx 2760USD)
Category winners £200 (approx 276USD)
Every winner receives a glass plaque and all winners & shortlisted authors receive a write up.
Open internationally • No upselling • Judged by named judges
2026 JUDGES
Dr Paul McDonald, our resident judge, is an author of poetry, fiction and academic articles. We are indeed lucky to have him!
So that there is some variety each year, a different judge will join him in the hunt for some of the best books out there!
Guest Judge
Emma Purshouse
Information about our 2026 judges
Entry Fee
We're often asked how much the entry fee is so we thought we'd add it to the Homepage.
Entry fee costs depend on which country you are in. More information on the cost for your country can be found here.
We are completely self-funded and in order for the awards to function we must charge an entry fee. Other mainstream awards work by sponsorship and charging publishers thousands of pounds once their author is shortlisted. They are again charged thousands to have a table at an awards ceremony. Charges easily run into the tens of thousands, if not more, for each book shortlisted.
We know that indie authors and publishers cannot possibly afford these costs so we charge a much smaller fee for everyone.
