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ESSE BOOK AWARDS 2026
For books first published in 2024 and 2025
ESSE Book Award (Category A): A book prize of € 1,500 will be awarded by ESSE in 2026, coinciding with the 18th ESSE Conference to be held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, for books first published in 2024 or 2025 (date of imprint in the published book) in each of the following fields:
- English Language and Linguistics;
- Literatures in the English Language;
- Cultural and Area studies in English.
ESSE Book Award for Junior Scholars (Category B): A further book prize of € 1,500 will be awarded by ESSE in 2026 to a junior scholar for a first research book published in English in each of the three fields mentioned above, provided that publication was in 2024 or 2025 (date of imprint in the published book).
The deadline for submission of books is 1 February 2026. The winners will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of ESSE-18 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
The requirements are as follows:
- Books eligible for prizes will be those published in English; they must have an ISBN. PhD dissertations published in book format, with an ISBN, are accepted. Editions of collected essays will NOT qualify for these prizes. The books must be works of scholarly research in the field of English studies. Undergraduate textbooks will not be considered.
- Any number of books may be submitted by the same author (provided that they are published within the admitted period of time), except for category B, since junior scholars are expected to submit their first research book published in English.
- All books will be evaluated strictly on the basis of their academic value, without regard to publisher, country of publication or nationality of the author.
- Authors must be members of national associations affiliated to ESSE (according to the official membership lists submitted in November 2025).
- Books can be submitted in electronic format (PDF only) or in printed format. If submitted in printed format, three copies must be provided of each book submitted for consideration. The copies will not be returned.
- The candidates are required to fill in the form, available here (https://forms.gle/pYt1v6hzrYEPKViG6) by 1 February 2026.
In case the applicant opts to submit an e-book (PDF only!), electronic submission should be made to esse.president@outlook.com by 1 FEBRUARY 2026.
In case the applicant opts to submit a printed book, the three review copies must be sent to the address below by 1 FEBRUARY 2026.
The deadline must be observed.
Books must be sent to the following address:
Prof. Dr. Lieven Buysse
President of ESSE
KU Leuven Campus Brussels
Warmoesberg 26
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Two months before the opening of the ESSE-18 conference a shortlist of a maximum of five books in each field and category will be announced on the ESSE Website. Board members are asked to report to the President any misgivings that they may have about the propriety of awarding a prize to any book on the shortlist, with the President passing on such comments to the committees if he deems it appropriate. The committees will recommend the awards to the Board, or they may recommend that no award be made in a particular field. The President will report to the Board whether the work of the committees has been satisfactorily conducted. The Board may then approve the recommendations of the committees or they may reject a recommendation, in which case no award will be given in that field or category. Winners will be informed immediately in confidence, and the awards will be publicly announced during the opening ceremony of the ESSE-18 conference, in Santiago de Compostela (Spain).