The Grub Street National Book Prize

The Grub Street National Book Prize is awarded once annually to an American writer outside New England publishing his or her second, third, fourth (or beyond...) book. First books are not eligible. Writers whose primary residence is Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut or Rhode Island are also not eligible.

Each winner receives a cash award of $5,000.

The winner will read from his/her work and lead a craft class in downtown Boston as part of the Muse and the Marketplace literary conference. All travel and accommodation expenses will be paid by Grub Street.

Though Grub Street's top criterion is the overall literary merit of the work submitted, the award committee especially encourages writers publishing with small presses, writers of short story collections, and writers of color to apply. We also want the award to benefit writers for whom a trip to Boston will likely expand their readership in a meaningful way.

Postmark Deadline for the 2013 Non-Fiction Prize: October 15, 2012.

 

Application Requirements

 

(1) Two copies of the author's most recent or upcoming book, in bound galleys or final form, published between January 1, 2012 and May 1, 2013. (Important: the hardcover or paperback original must be available to booksellers by May 1, 2013. Books available solely in electronic form are not eligible. Self-published books are not eligible. Paperbacks are not eligible if hardcover was published before January 1, 2012.)

(2) Curriculum vitae

(3) 500-word synopsis of the proposed craft class

(4) $30 tax-deductible donation/reading fee** made out to Grub Street, Inc.

     **If the book is published by a press with annual sales under $5 million, the submission fee is waived.

(5) Send all materials to: Grub Street Book Prize in Non-Fiction; 162 Boylston Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02116.

 

Other Important Information about the 2013 Non-Fiction Prize

 

(1) The winner will be asked to be in Boston the weekend of May 3-5, 2013 to give a public reading from their book and to present a 1.25-hour craft class at Grub Street's 2013 Muse and the Marketplace literary conference. Inability to attend at least one day of the conference may result in forfeiture of the prize.

(2) Publishers may submit books on behalf of authors, but applications must include all materials above in order to be eligible.

(3) Eligible non-fiction books include: Memoir, any form of narrative/creative non-fiction, or autobiography. Not Eligible: Self-Help, “prescriptive” non-fiction, cookbooks, "pure" history, literary criticism, philosophy or textbooks.

(4) Winner will be notified on or before December 15th, 2012.

For more information about Grub Street and this year's Book Prize, call 617.695.0075 or send an email to chris@grubstreet.org. Please send all postal mail applications and inquiries to: 162 Boylston Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02116.