For a first novel by an author over 40. The prize money is £4,000 for the winner and £2,000 for the runner-up, with each shortlisted author receiving £1,000 (up to four authors).

Deadline: Friday 31 October 2025

Entry criteria

• The author must be living and over the age of 40 on the 31 October 2025.
• The author must not have had any other novel published other than the one submitted, including self-published works (excluding works for children).
• The novel must be a full length work in the English language by one author (not a translation, poetry, or short story collection and not a work for children).
• The work must be a work of 'fiction or imagination or substantially of fiction or imagination'.
• The work must either have been first published in the UK between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025 (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished.
• All submissions must have been written by the author and cannot contain the use of AI generated works.
• For publishers: maximum two entries per imprint.

Conditions of entry

Present employees (or anyone currently connected with the administration of the Society of Authors’ grants and prizes) or members of the SoA Management Committee may not apply for any of the grants and prizes administered by the Society of Authors.

Judges may call in books if they so wish. The decision of the judges (both as to eligibility and the winning entry) shall be final and they reserve the right not to award the McKitterick Prize if, in their opinion, no works entered reach a sufficiently high standard. The publishers of winning books will assist The Society of Authors in the publicity and promotion of the McKitterick Prize.

We request that “Winner of the McKitterick Prize" or "Shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize" be printed on the cover of subsequent editions of winning/ shortlisted books.

How to enter

For published and self-published entries: Once the following form is completed please send five copies (non-returnable) of the published book or publisher's proof (bound or unbound) to:

The McKitterick Prize,
Prizes department,
The Society of Authors,
24 Bedford Row,
London,
WC1R 4EH.

Please note that couriers should use the entrance on Theobalds Road.

Please also upload a digital version of the book when prompted below. If the file you are using is too large for the form, please complete the rest of the entry form and then send the file via email or WeTransfer to prizes@societyofauthors.org.

For unpublished entries: Upload to this form one copy of the manuscript formatted in line with the following style guide. Only one manuscript may be submitted per applicant.

• A4 paper size
• 12 point font size
• Title of manuscript should appear on the first page, along with the author’s name.
• Please use page numbers
•  Maximum of 30 pages (including any title or contents pages used). Longlisted authors will be asked to provide the full manuscript for the judges consideration.
• Submitted in .doc/.docx/.pdf format
• File name should include the book title

The prize will be awarded at the annual Society of Authors' Awards ceremony in 2026.
For any queries, please email prizes@societyofauthors.org.

Entry Submission:

For published work: please upload a digital PDF version of the book.

For unpublished work: please upload one copy of your manuscript formatted in line with the following style guide:

• A4 paper size
• Typed in standard font (e.g. Times New Roman/Arial/Calibri/Helvetica)
• Title of manuscript should appear on the first page only, along with the author’s name
• Page numbers must be used
• Maximum of 30 pages (including any title or contents pages used). You may be asked to provide your full manuscript for the judges consideration
• Submitted in .doc/.docx/.pdf format
• File name should include book title