Trillium Book Award

Who can apply

The awards recognize books created through human authorship and illustration.

Eligibility requirements for all books being submitted for these awards are that:

 Publishers should ensure submissions meet the award’s primary criterion

of “literary excellence”. Books such as self-help, guides, cookbooks, coffee- table books, and others with minimal critical content are unlikely to be considered, as they typically fall outside the scope of the award’s focus.

 Books must be written by an Ontario writer who has lived in Ontario for at

least three out of the past five years. In the case of a co-authored title, both authors must meet this rule and would split the prize money if selected as the winner. Ghostwritten books are not eligible for submission.

 Only book publishers may submit titles for consideration. Self-published

titles are not eligible for submission. Titles for which the author contributed financially toward the publication costs are not eligible.

 Submitted titles must have an ISBN and must have a minimum of 48 bound

pages, except in the case of children’s books which must have a minimum of 24 pages.

 Books published only in e-book format are eligible for submission. If an e-

Book is published simultaneously as a traditionally printed book during the eligibility year, the printed book is eligible and should be submitted. For books published only as e-Books, the electronic form is eligible, but the publisher must provide two copies, printed and bound.

 Collections and/or selections may be submitted provided that there is a

substantive amount of material that has not previously been published in book format.

Specifically for titles being submitted for the Trillium Book Award it should be noted that:

 Titles must have been published for the first time in the 2026 calendar year,

be distributed in Canada, and still be in print and available for sale in the spring of 2027.

 Books of all genre types may be submitted: fiction, non-fiction, drama and

children’s books are all eligible. (Note: French-language publishers may prefer to submit children’s books for the Trillium Book Award for Children’s Literature in French language).

 There is no restriction regarding the previous number of works an author

has written.

Specifically for the Trillium Book Award for Poetry it should be noted that:

 Only a first, second or third work of poetry by the poet is eligible for

submission as this award was created to honour achievement by new, emerging poets. However, works by more established poets may be submitted for the traditional Trillium Book Award.

 Titles submitted for this award in English language must have been

published for the first time in 2026 calendar year, be distributed in Canada, and still be in print and available for sale in the spring of 2027.

 Titles submitted for this award in French language may be submitted at

this time provided that they have been published for the first time in the 2026 calendar year, but note that these titles will be held and carried over for consideration with 2027 titles.

For the Trillium Book Award for Children’s Literature in French Language only, it should be noted that:

 Titles submitted for this award may be submitted at this time provided that

they have been published for the first time in the 2025 or 2026 calendar year, be distributed in Canada, and still be in print and available for sale in the spring of 2027.

 There is no restriction regarding the previous number of works an author

has written.