About the IBC Awards
The Inclusive Books for Children Awards are currently closed for submissions. Do check back here in September for an update on the IBC Awards 2025.
The Prize
The awards open each year to new titles published in the UK from November to November.
Free to enter, and with a total winners’ prize fund of £30,000, the annual awards celebrate the talent behind the best, new inclusive children’s books published in the UK.
A £10,000 prize will be shared between the author(s) and illustrator(s) in each of the book categories below.
What we're looking for
- Baby and toddler books (1–3)
- Picture books (3–7)
- Children’s fiction (5–9)
The IBC Awards are limited to fiction with certain exceptions in the Baby and Toddler category.
Books must also be naturally inclusive, including AT LEAST ONE of the following forms of representation at main-character level:
- Ethnic minority
- Disabled
- Neurodiverse
- LGBTQIA+
Judges will also take into consideration whether books offer any of the following:
- An Own-Voice perspective (i.e. books by authors and/or illustrators who share the same cultural, ethnic or other identities as the characters they've created)
- A challenge to gender stereotypes
- Representation of diverse family structures (e.g. single-parent, blended or same-sex parent families)
- A diverse cast of characters beyond the main character
For more information on eligibility and how to submit, read our Terms and conditions.
Timeline
- Submissions open: September 2024
- Submissions close: October 2024
- Shortlist announced: January 2025
- Winners announced: March 2025
The above dates are TBC.