Celebrating the unique partnership of picture and text
What we are looking for?
In the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards, we are looking for books where word and image are of equal importance, each working with the other to create the perfect synergy of picture and text. Submissions should demonstrate the synergy between high quality writing and imaginative well-crafted images, where each feeds and interacts with the other to create a book that will fully engage the reader in both its design and content.
The writing should be of good quality and relevant to the age group; the illustration should be imaginative and of high artistic value; and they should come together to produce a whole that is both engaging and visually appealing.
Each year, one of the books submitted to the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards will be selected as the recipient of the Margaret Mallett Prize for Children’s Non-Fiction.
Criteria
- Submissions should demonstrate the synergy between high quality writing and imaginative well-crafted images in both its design and content.
- Entries should be submitted under one of the four categories: Fiction 4–7, Fiction 7–11, Non-Fiction 4–7 , and Non-Fiction 7–11.
- Your submission(s) must have been published in the UK for the first time in 2025 (i.e. between 01 January 2025 and 31 December 2025 inclusive).
- There is no limit on the number of books that may be submitted so long as each book meets the criteria.
- It is free to enter the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards
- We are very happy to accept submissions from independent publishers and from self-published authors, so long as they meet the criteria.
We are committed to recognising excellence and, in exceptional cases, we may consider books that demonstrate the potential of the picture book but do not necessarily comply fully with all the criteria (e.g. The Arrival by Shaun Tan). Please note, however, that this is the exception rather than the rule.
Timeline
Monday 03 November 2025
Submissions Open
Monday 26 January 2026
Submissions Deadline
Monday 13 April 2026
Shortlist Announced
Monday 27 April 2026
Winners Announced
The Judging Process
The winning books are chosen by the Editorial Board of English 4–11, the journal for primary teachers published jointly by the English Association and the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA), and the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE), from a shortlist selected by a panel of teachers and their students, and primary specialists.
Hear from previous winners
This year I was thrilled that my book BLITZ One Family’s War won the English Association Picture Book Award 2025. To win an award for something you have created is always very special, but to be recognised by such a prestigious and important organisation as the English Association makes this particularly memorable.
– Martin Impey, author of Blitz: One Family’s WarWinning the English Association’s 4-11 Picture Book Award was an honour. Attending their conference and hearing the judges talk with such passion about how they would use my book in the classroom, from reception to year 6, was a real eye opener and it has made me look at my books in a different way. I have stayed in touch with one of them and I hope to visit her school in the future.
– Holly Swain, author of Colin’s Castle
Categories
There are four categories in the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards:
Fiction 4–7
Books in this category should have language that is appropriate to the age group, with illustration integral to the text and of artistic merit. Please note, we are not looking for board books.
Fiction 7–11
For this category, the text should engage the older reader, but the illustrations should still be integral to the text and of artistic merit. Books that are illustrated with black or single colour line drawings will not be considered unless they are part of any imaginative design concept for the whole book.
Non-Fiction 4–7
These books should excite the imagination of the younger reader. The information should be accurate with language appropriate to the age group, and the illustrations should communicate well, complementing and extending the language used. Illustrations may include photographs, but these must interact with the text and be of high aesthetic quality.
Non-Fiction 7–11
Submissions in this category should show awareness of the level of knowledge of its readership and inspire them to discover more. The content should be accurate and appealing, with tone and style varied according to the type of information offered. Illustrations should communicate well, complementing and extending the text, and may include photographs, but these must be of high aesthetic quality and should interact with the text.
How to Submit Your Entry
Step One
Please complete the submission form. There is no limit on the number of books you can submit, but this form will only allow you to enter ten books at once. If you would like to submit more than ten books, please start another application form for the additional books.
Step Two
Once you have completed the form, please send two copies of the books to the address below:
English 4-11 Picture Book Awards
The English Association
Senate House, Room 244
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HU
Further Information and Queries
If you require any further information about the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards, please do get in touch with us at awards@englishassociation.ac.uk.
