The MARION Book Awards have now closed for submissions.

Thank you to everyone who entered!
We look forward to announcing the shortlisted works in early June.

The MARION Annual Awards night will take place at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Lakeside on Thursday 27 June 2024.
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The annual MARION Book Awards highlight and celebrate the excellence and talent of writers in and around the ACT region.

These awards recognise the work of authors from the ACT and surrounding regions.

The MARION Book Awards are open to books published in 2023. Entries are received under the categories of children’s books (including picture books, middle-grade and young adult fiction), fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

Submissions are welcome for both self-published and traditionally published works.

KEY DATES

Wednesday 21 February - Call for entries open
Monday 18 March - Entries due 11:59pm
Thursday 27 June - MARION Book Awards Night, Canberra Contemporary Arts Space

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SUBMISSION

STEP 1
Read the Award Terms + Conditions below.

STEP 2
Complete the ENTRY FORM below and click SUBMIT, you will be taken to the payment portal.

STEP 3
Select the relevant entry fee and make payment.

STEP 4
Entrants or their publisher must supply one copy via post only to MARION for judging.

ENTRY FEES

  • SELF-PUBLISHED WORK
    $45 MARION Members
    $65 Non-members

  • TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED WORK
    $90 All entries

POSTAL ADDRESS FOR ENTRIES

  • MARION
    PO Box 63, Dickson ACT 2602

Entry form

Terms + Conditions

  • Entry forms, entry fees and books must all have been received no later than midnight on 18 March 2024. (You will be guided to the entry fee payment portal once you have completed the submission form). If you are having technical difficulties, please get in touch with operations@marion.ink.

  • An entry fee and form submission is required for each unique entry you make.

  • Only writers in the ACT region are eligible to apply. For the purposes of these awards this region is defined as (see map).

  • The work must have been published in 2023.

  • Entries must be the original work of no more than two authors. In the case of Children’s books the author must be eligible to apply for the award. The illustrator of an eligible Children’s book is not required to live within the region.

  • If entrants withdraw their entry, the entry fee will not be refunded.

  • If an entry is ineligible as per the terms and conditions, the entry fee will not be refunded.

  • Entries are welcome from writers of any age, writing in English.

  • Self-published publications refer to self-published books.

  • Traditional publishers refer to books published by a publishing company. They also include books published by non-profit organisations (such as the AIATSIS Aboriginal Studies Press, CSIRO, National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia, etc.) which publish books as an adjunct to their main public purpose that are also eligible for the Awards. Books published by an independent publisher such as Recent Work Press, Tusk Books, Ginninderra Press, ANU Press, etc. are also included in this category. 

  • The Children’s category encompasses picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young adult fiction.

  • MARION staff and board members are not eligible to enter. Former MARION staff and board members are not eligible to apply until three (3) months from the end of their term of engagement. 

  • Please ensure that all spelling is correct on the entry form as the exact spelling will be used for shortlisting and award certificates.

  • All entries must be submitted via post.

  • Ebooks are eligible, and must be submitted in a PDF format via email to operations@marion.ink.

  • Entries will not be returned to entrants.

  • Entrants or their publisher must supply one (1) copy via post to MARION for judging to MARION, PO Box 63, Dickson ACT 2602

  • All decisions made in relation to the MARION Book Awards by Staff, Board Members, or Judges are final and no correspondence will be entered into.