Applications open for Mountain Book Competition

The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival celebrates mountain literature, film, and photography, bringing together filmmakers, writers, publishers, editors, photographers, athletes, adventurers, and of course readers.  Featuring film screenings, guest speakers, readings, seminars and book signings, the Festival offers a wide spectrum of experiences for the mountain film and book-loving audience.

As a key program of Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, the Book Competition is an internationally recognized literary competition that celebrates mountain literature in all its forms.  Over $29,000 in cash is awarded annually with 8 awards selected by an international jury of writers, adventurers and editors.  The short list of category award winners eligible for the Grand Prize is announced in October every year.  In 2024, the Grand Prize will be announced on Thursday, October 31 at the Festival and category awards will be presented to winning authors.

The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival celebrates mountain literature and film, bringing together filmmakers, writers, publishers, editors, photographers, athletes, adventurers, and – of course – readers. Featuring film screenings, guest speakers, readings, seminars, and book signings, the Festival offers a wide spectrum of experiences for the mountain enthusiast. Other activities include the Mountain Film Festival World Tour, the Mountain Photo Essay Competition, and Mountain Culture programs such as the Adventure Filmmakers’ Workshop. The Festival takes place on the campus of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity each year in Banff Alberta, Canada. The 2024 festival will be held on October 26 to November 3.

Categories

• Prizes will be awarded in each of the following categories. Please note that in all categories only English editions are eligible for the award.
  • Adventure Travel – includes non-fiction books with a theme of travel to, and exploration of, remote and/or rugged landscapes and their cultures.
  • Mountain Fiction & Poetry – includes fiction and poetry books with a focus on mountain topics. Creative narratives about climbing and mountaineering, exploration and mountain culture are accepted.
  • Mountain Literature – includes non-fiction books such as memoirs, biographies, and narratives on mountaineering, climbing history, mountain exploration, mountain culture, and human experiences of any kind in the mountains and in wilderness areas.
  • Environmental Literature – includes books that pertain to the environment, specifically related to flora, wildlife, conservation, and climate change. Scholastic research and academic papers/texts will not be accepted.
  • Guidebook – non-fiction books dealing with physical activities in mountain environments including hiking, climbing, mountaineering and “how-to” books.
  • Mountain Image – includes books with a primary focus on mountain images and with text in a complementary role. Images may include photographs or reproductions of artwork. *This category will be reviewed by the Photo Competition jury
  • Mountain Article – includes articles or short form essays under 7,000 words with mountain themes including, but not limited to: climbing, adventure, conservation, and mountain literature. Articles may be fiction, historical or non-fiction narratives, and can be submitted by either an editor or author of the article. This category accepts articles that have been published in print or digitally.
  • Climbing Literature – will be awarded to the best long-listed book on mountaineering or climbing.
  • Grand Prize – will be awarded to a book chosen from amongst the winners in the above categories.

Criteria

• First Editions – to be eligible for the 2024 Mountain Book Competition, entries must be first editions published in 2023 or 2024.
• Each book entry must include Five (5) finished copies of the book (or two (2) advance reading copies). These are necessary for the preview and judging process and will not be returned.
• New editions of previously published titles may be eligible if previous editions have not been entered in the competition in the past. Each title may be entered in the competition only once.
• Entries for all categories may be submitted by authors or publishers. Please coordinate to avoid duplication.
• Mountain Article – must be under 7,000 words and must be submitted as a PDF. Must have been published in 2023 or 2024. Scholastic, research, or scientific articles will not be accepted. Entries must be a standalone piece and cannot be part of a collection of writing. Each author can submit two (2) articles.
• Shipping, customs duties and taxes are the responsibility of the entrant. The use of retail values on international shipments may generate duty and/or taxes; these will be charged back to the sender.
• All works must be in English.
• Posthumous works will not be accepted.
• All eligible titles submitted may be displayed during the 2024 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.
• Books written primarily for children and young adults are not suitable for this competition.
• Books written by Banff Centre staff members or members of the current International jury will not be eligible for consideration in the competition. Books written by past jury members may be considered in the following year.
• The dispatch of any entry to the Festival implies acceptance of these regulations by the entrant.
• Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity has the right to sell copies of books entered to the competition to support Mountain Culture programming at Banff Centre.

For more information, visit Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.