The International Rubery Book Award judges have deliberated over all this year’s entries from 29 different countries and are another step closer to selecting their winners.
The shortlists have today been announced with entries from Australia, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Singapore, UK and the USA all making it through to the last leg.
The awards were established in 2011 by local author Heather Painter, after seeing first hand how hard – and expensive – it is for independent authors to earn the recognition they deserve through awards.
Heather said: “I know how these big, mainstream awards work and how very difficult it is for indie authors and indie publishers to finance the thousands of pounds required to enter these awards, and even more if shortlisted. So, the Rubery Book Award was born, being more accessible to self published authors and indie publishers without these kind of funds.”
The competition for the international award is stiff and standards are high. Heather said: “We look for quality, just like the more mainstream awards.”
The shortlisted entries – in the Illustrated Children’s, Children’s and Young Adult, Non fiction, Fiction and Poetry categories – will now be mused over by judges:
- Paul Mcdonald, a lecturer at Wolverhampton university
- Pauline Morgan, an experienced local reviewer
- Clare Morrall, a South Birmingham author who was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2003
The category and overall winners will be announced over the next couple of weeks. Good luck all!
To view the shortlisted entries and learn more about the awards and how to enter, visit the Rubery International Book Award website.