The trustees of the Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust invite publishers to make submissions for the 2025 Boardman Tasker Award. Please read the full rules before making any submissions.

Books with mountain, not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language (initially or in translation) will be eligible. The entry must be in book format, and not in the format of a magazine or other periodical or anthology.

The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 14th 2024 and 14th July 2025.

Books should be submitted as soon as they are available, but by 14th July 2025 at the latest. Publishers are invited to send four copies of each book entered (or page-proofs if necessary) with an entry form for each title. No restriction is made on the number of entries each publisher may make.

1. The Prize

The prize for 2025 will be £3,000 and will be awarded to the author or authors of the best literary work, whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, the central theme of which is concerned with the mountain environment. The emphasis will be on literary merit and the judges may withhold the prize if they do not consider any entry to be of sufficient merit.

2. Eligibility

a) Authors
Entries for consideration may have been written by an author of any nationality but the work must be published or distributed in the United Kingdom. The work must be written or have been translated into the English language. In the event that a book has been ghost written, the name of the ghost writer must be declared. A co-authored work will be eligible but a collection of writings by multiple authors will not.

b) Form and period
The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 14th 2024 and 14th July 2025. This includes ‘Print on demand’ book formats. A re-submission or re-working of a work previously submitted shall not be eligible. The entry must be in book format and not the format of a magazine or other periodical or anthology. In a collection of essays or articles by a single author, the inclusion of material previously published but now in book format for the first time will be acceptable. Books of photographs will not be excluded but to qualify they must have a substantial text.

c) Determination of eligibility
Determination of eligibility shall be in the sole discretion of the trustees whose decision shall be final and binding. Ineligible books will not be returned and are donated to public libraries

3. Judging

The decision as to the prizewinner will be made by a panel of judges appointed by the Trustees.
The decision will be final and no discussion about it will be entered into.

4. Conditions for Submission

a) Submission only by Publishers
Applications shall be submitted as soon as possible by an independent publisher responsible for the first publication (or distribution) of an English language edition of that work in the United Kingdom. Entries will not be accepted direct from the authors, and the submission of an author’s work by their publisher will imply agreement by the author that they are willing for the submitted work to be considered. Publishers outside the United Kingdom must give the name and address of the United Kingdom distributor.

b) What needs to be submitted
Entry for the prize can only be effected by submission of:
1. A fully completed submission form accompanied by:
2. 4 copies of the book in published form. Books submitted without a completed submission form will not be accepted and will not be returned.
3. The book cover image.
4. A 40 word summary of the book, these are for use on the BT website, press releases and communications about entries to the BT Award.

c) EBooks
For the purposes of the BT award an EBook is a book available for purchase in electronic format in accordance with the preceding rules. Material that is only accessible on a website will not be accepted. Bound paper copies must be provided as above. Electronic copies of an EBook will not be accepted.

d) Dates of submission
Entries must be submitted by Monday 14th July 2025.
Page proofs and unpublished work will NOT be accepted.

All entries must be submitted to:
Mr Steve Dean
Secretary Boardman Tasker Mountain Literature Award
8 Bank View Road
Darley Abbey
Derby
DE22 1EJ

Telephone: 01332 342246

Email: steve.dean4321@gmail.com

5. Announcement of the prize winner

The judges will announce their decision at the Award ceremony at the end of November at the Kendal Mountain Festival.

6. Publicity

Shortlisted Authors will be requested to attend the Award Ceremony and participate in the Shortlisted Authors (SLA) event to talk about their books. Attendance is not mandatory but those unable to attend will be expected to co-operate in pre-recording an interview or another presentation to be shown in the SLA event. All are expected to co-operate with reasonable requests to publicise their own book and the Award Ceremony before, during and in the aftermath of the Award.