Terms & Conditions for Submission 2019

Terms & Conditions and Entry Guidelines

  1. About The Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2019

Founded in 2003, the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize honours the life and career of Kim Scott Walwyn – who was Publishing Director at Oxford University Press and who died in 2002 – and celebrates exceptional women in publishing. In 2019, the Prize will be awarded for the 12th time.

The Kim Scott Walwyn Prize is managed by the Prize Committee and is run in partnership with the Society of Young Publishers. It is open to any woman who has worked in publishing in the UK for up to seven years and recognises the professional achievements and promise of women in the industry.

The last five winners of the Prize are Alice Curry, Founder and Publisher at Lantana, Rebecca Lewis-Oakes, then children’s book editor at Puffin Books, Anne Perry, then Editor at Hodder & Stoughton and Founder of The Kitschies, Miriam Robinson, then Head of Marketing at Foyles, and Rukhsana Yasmin, then Commissioning Editor at Saqi, The Westbourne Press and Telegram.

The winner of the Prize receives £1000, sponsored by the Society of Young Publishers. 

2. Key dates (all are subject to change)

  • Friday 15th February 2019: Entries and nominations open
  • 5pm (GMT) Monday 25th February 2019: Deadline for nominations
  • 5pm (GMT) Wednesday 27th February 2019: All nominees notified
  • 5pm (GMT) Monday 18th March 2019: Deadline for submissions
  • Wednesday 1st May 2019: Shortlist announcement
  • Tuesday 28th May 2019: Award Ceremony at Stationers’ Hall, London. This year’s keynote speaker will be Deborah Frances-White, comedian and Sunday Times bestselling author, best known for her hit podcast The Guilty Feminist.

3. Terms of Entry

I. The prize is open to any woman who has worked in the publishing industry in the UK for a maximum of seven years. ‘Publishing industry’ in this sense encompasses working in any function at an established publishing house, agenting, bookselling or working for a literary organisation. Eligible candidates must be currently employed in publishing in the UK. Any time worked in publishing outside of the UK will count towards the seven-year limit. However, part-time bookselling – for example while studying – and work experience will not count towards the seven-year limit. Any applicants who are unsure whether they are eligible can email KSWprize@gmail.com for clarification.

II. There are two methods of entry to the Award:

     A. Self-nomination:

To enter the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2019, applicants should fill in an Entry Form at www.kimscottwalwyn.org/entry-form-2019  by 5pm (GMT), Monday 18th March 2019.

     B. Via nomination from a person working in the publishing industry:

Anyone who works in the publishing industry is invited to nominate up to two candidates (colleagues, employees or managers) for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize.

They can do so by filling in a nomination form for each candidate at www.kimscottwalwyn.org/nomination-form-2019 by 5pm (GMT) Monday 25th February 2019. KSW will then contact all nominees by email by 5pm (GMT) Wednesday 27th February 2019 to invite them to enter the Prize by filling out an Entry Form as in entry method A.

People who nominate a candidate for the Prize can choose whether they wish for their details to be shared with their nominee.

Nomination forms will not be sent to judges and entries via self-nomination and nomination will be judged equally.

III. Shortlisted candidates must be able to attend the Award Ceremony at their own cost on the evening of Tuesday 28th May 2019 at Stationers’ Hall, London.

IV. Shortlisted candidates and the winner must be available for any media opportunities from March to June 2019.

V. SYP committee members are not eligible for entry.

4. Judging

This year’s judges are:

  • Denise Johnstone-Burt – Executive Editorial Director, Walker Books (Co-chair of judges)
  • Catherine Clarke – Literary Agent and Managing Director, Felicity Bryan Associates (Co-chair of judges)
  • Ain-Deheb Bensenouci – SYP Chair 2018 and Senior Academic Partnership Manager at Epigeum (KSW Committee Member)
  • Alice Curry – KSW Prize 2017 winner, Founder and Publisher at Lantana Publishing
  • Rukhsana Yasmin – Deputy Editor of Wasafiri Magazine and winner of the 2012 Prize (KSW Committee Member)
  • Julia Kingsford – Co-founder and Director of Kingsford Campbell and The Good Literary Agency (KSW Committee Member)
  • Emma Paterson – Agent at Aitken Alexander Associates (KSW Committee Member)

What are the judges looking for?

The judges are looking for the qualities that marked Kim’s own career and the careers of those she encouraged: excellence in any area of publishing and the ability to show initiative and creativity in their work. The judges are looking for women with achievements already to their name – including achievements which are related to the industry but go beyond the normal day-to-day aspects of their employment – and women who show outstanding potential in their careers.

Some examples are given below of achievements and aspects of a woman’s career which the judges are keen to reward. These are however only examples and applicants can nominate themselves for other accomplishments. Additionally, the Prize may be awarded not for a specific achievement, but rather for a combination of qualities and skills that mark a career as promising.

Example skills and achievements:

  • Agenting
    • Talent spotting
    • Guiding and encouraging authors
  • Commissioning
    • Talent spotting
    • Launching and/or development of new publishing ideas, new series
    • Pioneering work in developing new types of books for established or new markets
  • Design
    • Creative and fresh presentation which makes a new visual impact
    • Innovative use of illustrative material
    • Designing to make material more accessible or enjoyable for readers
  • Digital
    • Development of new media for delivery e.g. e-books, websites, apps, or enhanced editions
    • Working with new media in an innovative way across all functions of publishing
  • Editing
    • Providing exceptional encouragement and guidance to authors
    • Recognising new writing potential
    • Developing an author’s work
  • Entrepreneurial
    • Demonstrating entrepreneurial flair e.g. launching a start up website, event, or company
  • Marketing and PR
    • Working with the media to gain consistent and high-profile coverage for a list
    • Launching or developing a brand, author, or genre
    • Innovative use of new techniques or media to reach readers and buyers, such as digital marketing campaigns and social networking
  • Production
    • Use of innovative techniques in pre-press or manufacture
    • Opening up new channels of supply
  • Sales and Rights
    • Working with key accounts to provide a consistent and excellent service to retailers
    • Developing or opening new sales channels or territories for a publisher or author
    • Developing new sales techniques or materials

5. How to enter

A. Self-nomination

Applicants for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2019 should make their submission online by filling in the Entry Form at http://www.kimscottwalwyn.org/entry-form-2019 by 5pm (GMT) Monday 18th March 2019.

To complete the form, applicants will need to provide a short CV, a statement of achievement including a short statement outlining how they see the publishing industry in five years’ time and two supporting referee statements. If applicants would like to provide any additional material to support their application, they can send an email with the documents attached to KSWprize@gmail.com with ‘KSW 2019 Application’ and their full name in the subject line. 

The deadline for receiving online entries is 5pm (GMT) Monday 18th March 2019

B. Via nomination from a person working in the industry

Anyone working in the publishing industry can nominate up to two candidates for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2019, by filling in a Nomination Form for each candidate online at http://www.kimscottwalwyn.org/nomination-form-2019 

KSW will then contact all nominees by email by 5pm (GMT) Wednesday 27th February 2019 to invite them to enter the Prize by filling in an Entry Form at www.kimscottwalwyn.org/entry-form-2019 by 5pm (GMT) Monday 18th March 2019. 

The deadline for receiving nominations is 5pm (GMT) Monday 25th February 2019

6. Prize queries and updates

Any queries about the Prize should be directed to KSWprize@gmail.com.

7. Privacy Notice

You can find details of our Privacy Notice here.