The HAC Literary Awards recognizes published books of literary excellence,
written by authors residing in Hamilton. Prizes are awarded in each of the
following four categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry and the Kerry Schooley
Book Award for the book that is the most evocative of Hamilton. The Kerry
Schooley Book Award can be awarded to a book from any genre.
To be eligible in the Fiction, Non-fiction and Poetry Book categories an
entry must be:
a published book of literary merit with an ISBN number
a minimum of 48 bound pages (children’s books may be shorter)
published in the previous calendar year
written by an author residing in the City of Hamilton** who is a
Canadian citizen or has landed immigrant status
single authored or co-authored (maximum two authors, provided that
both authors meet the residency requirements)
** To meet the residency requirements, authors must live in Hamilton at the
time of the award submission deadline and / or book publication, and a
minimum of 12 consecutive months up to and including either or both dates.
To be eligible in The Kerry Schooley Book Award category an entry
must be:
a published book of literary merit with an ISBN number
a minimum of 48 bound pages (children’s books may be shorter)
published in the previous calendar year
written by an author who has resided in Hamilton for a significant
portion of their life, who is a Canadian citizen or has landed
immigrant status and may or may not be a current resident
single authored or co-authored (maximum two authors, provided that
both authors meet the residency requirements)
Ineligible entries include, but are not limited to:
translations
books written by authors who are deceased at the time the title was
submitted to the competition
anthologies and books with works by more than two authors
ghost written books
manuscripts
works in an electronic format
textbooks, catalogues, cookbooks, reference books, academic
publications, technical manuals, self help books
re-prints or republications of titles originally published at an earlier
date
books submitted by City of Hamilton and area elected
representatives
A minimum of 3 eligible entries must be received each year in a given category. If this minimum
is not reached, submissions will be forwarded to the following year’s competition.
Application Deadline
Deadline for submission of entries is May 22, 2015 at 4 PM (EXTENDED)
All submissions must be received by the deadline date, or postmarked on
that date or earlier. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Submission Procedure
A total of five (5) copies of each book in the poetry, fiction, non-fiction and
the Kerry Schooley Book Award category must be submitted to the Hamilton
Arts Council office at:
Hamilton Arts Council
22nd Annual Literary Awards
22 Wilson Street
Hamilton, ON L8R 1C5
Please note that books will not be returned
Selection Process
The Hamilton Arts Council uses a peer review process to select the Literary
Award laureates. In each category, a three person jury composed of writers
and literary arts professionals reviews the books and selects a short list of
finalists and an award recipient. The criterion for selection is literary
excellence.
The Kerry Schooley Book Award is a review process which will consist of
three members of the Hamilton community with a literary interest and will
include at least one literary arts professional, with the criteria for selection
being both literary excellence and the affinity of the book for the city of
Hamilton.
Announcement of Finalists and Winners
A short-list of finalists will be announced in September 2015.
The names of award winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony in
November 2015.
Information
Additional information and forms are available from the Hamilton Arts
Council website: www.hamiltonartscouncil.ca/page/hamilton-literaryawards
Or contact the Operations Officer at 905.481.3218 or
[email protected] for further information.
Please review the program guidelines before completing this form. If you are
completing the form by hand, please print legibly.
Title of Book ___________________________________________________________
Category (please indicate):
Fiction _____ Non-fiction _____ Poetry_____
Kerry Schooley Award_____
Date of Publication ____________
Author Information
Name:________________________________________________________________________________
Residential address:(P.O. Boxes will not be accepted)____________________________
____________________________________________________________
City:__________________________________________________________________________________
Postal code:___________________________
Tel:__________________________ Email:_________________________________________________
Publisher Information
Name of company:__________________________________________________________________
Name of contact person:____________________________________________________________
Mailing address:_____________________________________________________________________
City:___________________________________________________________________________________
Postal code:___________________________
Tel:__________________________ Email:_________________________________________________
Five copies of the book are enclosed____
Please note that books will not be returned.
Date Submitted _______________________________________
Signature_______________________________________________