Rules & Entry

Rules & Entry for the Caledonia Novel Award

2027 Competition Rules

  • Our 2027 novel competition is open to entries from 15 May 2026
  • We close to entries at midnight GMT on 15 October 2026
  • Longlisted novels will be announced on 2 December 2026, with longlistees invited to submit their full novel manuscript by 8 December 2026
  • Shortlisted novels will be announced on 4 February 2027, with the overall competition winner announced later in February and awarded £2,000
  • The Highly Commended author will win £500
  • The entry fee is £28 per novel
  • Novels can be in any genre for adults or young adults
  • Novels must be at least 50,000 words in length and should be as near to completion as possible at the time of entry
  • A submission must be the entrant's own original work. A submission must not, in whole or in part, be generated using artificial intelligence eg. ChatGPT
  • If a submission is made in breach of the above paragraph, the entrant will be liable (1) to repay any prize money or benefits given to them; and (2) for all losses, costs and expenses which the Caledonia Novel Award incurs arising out of or in connection with such breach, including loss of reputation, wasted expenditure and loss of profit
  • The competition is open to writers over the age of eighteen of any nationality and resident in any country
  • All entries are read anonymously and are judged solely on their literary merit
  • The Caledonia Novel Award is open to unpublished or self-published novelists only
  • Entrants must be unagented at the time of submission
  • In common with other awards for unpublished and self-published novels, the judging agents may contact longlisted authors before the winner is announced. However, the winner may have been decided internally before this point, and all entries will have been judged anonymously
  • Entries may not be altered after submission
  • Entrants retain full copyright of their work, however by entering the competition give the Caledonia Novel Award permission to post an extract from the first 10 pages of any shortlisted entries on our website
  • Employees of the Caledonia Novel Award and Curtis Brown are not eligible to enter the Caledonia Novel Award 2027
  • The writer of the best novel from the British Isles and Ireland will receive a free place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre. The winner will be able to choose from a selection of week-long residential or online courses taking place in 2027. The prize includes accommodation, food and tuition, but does not cover travel costs. The full list of courses for 2027 will be announced later this year. For further details about Moniack Mhor, visit www.moniackmhor.org.uk. There is no cash alternative to this prize, and it must be taken up within one year of the winner announcement date 

Sponsored Entries for Writers on a Low Income

We offer a number of sponsored places to writers who might not otherwise be able to afford to enter the Caledonia Novel Award 2027. These places will be awarded to the first writers to enter who meet the low-income criteria. Applicants must upload with their entry submission proof of financial eligibility such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Disability Benefit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Income Support, or proof of being a full-time carer or full-time student. All financial details will be kept strictly confidential. Successful candidates will be notified.

If you would be interested in sponsoring an entry for a writer on a low income, please contact us!

Entry

  • Novels should be submitted via email to caledoniaaward@gmail.com with one attachment containing the first 20 pages of your novel (double-spaced in a size 12 font) followed by a 200-word synopsis. In the body of your email, please list your name (this should not appear anywhere on your novel extract), novel title, address and contact details, brief details of genre, and payment date. Please also state where you heard about our competition
  • If you are applying for one of our sponsored places, please include proof of financial eligibility with your submission
  • The competition entrance fee is £28 per novel. Payment should be made using this PayPal link only. Please click here.
 
Please note, when you click to pay your fee, you are being redirected to PayPal. You can find their privacy information here: Please click here.
caledoniaaward@gmail.com
Copyright © 2026 Caledonia Novel Award. All rights reserved.
Designed & Developed By Crunchy Carrots.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram