Distinguished authors, Alan Titchmarsh, Joanna Trollope and Hunter Davies have lined up to judge the first ever Isle of Wight Book Awards, next year.
The Isle of Wight will be only the second region in the UK with its own regional book awards when the winners of the first awards are announced at a literary lunch on Isle of Wight Day, in September 2022.
Well known author and prolific journalist, Hunter Davies, who has a home on the Island, is starting the awards along with Peter Harrigan and Krissy Lloyd of headline sponsor, Medina Bookshop in Cowes.
All books must have a connection with the Isle of Wight and will be entered into one of three categories, fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, sponsored by Hovertravel, the Isle of Wight Festival and the estate agents, Hose Rhodes and Dickson.
For this, the inaugural year, books which have been published in the last five years will also be allowed to be entered. After that, the annual awards will be for books published during the previous year.
The aim is to promote interest in the Isle of Wight and encourage local authors to write and possibly self-publish their own stories.
Submissions must be published books, not e-books, however print-on-demand books will be accepted. Unpublished manuscripts are not eligible. Entries should be submitted by March 2022. Shortlists will be revealed in August.
The winners will receive £100 each.
Author, Hunter Davies, said:
"Everyone has a story to tell about their life, their family, their research, their hobbies, their interests. These days self-publishing is not too expensive or complicated, so you can do it yourself and take pride in passing around finished copies to your family and friends and neighbours and I am sure a kindly local book shop on the island will display copies”.
At next year's awards lunch, local MP Bob Seely will also announce his choice of the best books ever written about the Isle of Wight — which will also be put to an online vote.
For further details and entry forms, visit: www.iowbookawards.co.uk
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