Founded in 2004, the Victoria Book Prize Society advances the public’s appreciation of books
produced by authors residing in Greater Victoria and the surrounding region. Many of Canada’s
most celebrated poets, novelists, essayists, historians, and children’s authors and illustrators
live and work on southern Vancouver Island. The Victoria Book Prizes highlight and honour the
literary richness and creativity of this community.
The Society is committed to celebrating and promoting local authors through three annual
awards—for poetry, general works (fiction and non-fiction), and children’s literature. In each
category, three titles are shortlisted. These shortlisted books are promoted throughout the
region through public events, media outreach, and marketing initiatives.
An open call for submissions is issued each April. Three finalists in each category are announced
in September. Leading up to the awards announcement in November, a series of community
events showcase and celebrate the shortlisted authors. The three winners receive a $5,000
prize.
The first Victoria Book Prize was presented in 2004. At the time, all books—poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and books for young readers—were considered for a single award.
Brian Butler was a founding donor, and the prize was named in his honour until 2024.
The City of Victoria was also a founding sponsor. The city’s long-standing financial support demonstrates a deep commitment to the local literary arts community and recognizes its cultural value and positive impact.
In 2008, with generous support from Mel Bolen of Bolen Books, a dedicated children’s book award was established, with the City of Victoria extending its funding support to this prize in 2018.
From 2004 to 2024, the awards were presented at an annual gala held at the Union Club. In 2025, the awards announcement ceremony was held at Government House, following a series of public events featuring the nine shortlisted authors.
For many years, the local poetry community advocated for a standalone poetry prize. In 2025, with financial support from poet and advocate D.C. Reid, this vision was realized with the launch of a distinct poetry award.
Since its inception, the Society has benefited from the strong support and involvement of the local book community—including independent bookstores, regional publishers, and public libraries.
The City of Victoria’s financial sponsorship of the Victoria Book prizes funds the cash awards for
the winners in the children’s and general categories (fiction and non-fiction). The award is
named in recognition of the city’s contribution.
DC Reid is a Victoria-based writer, poet and philanthropist. DC Reid sponsors the cash prize for
poetry. The award is named in recognition of this contribution.
The Victoria Book Prize Society is pleased to have the support of many community organizations and businesses.
For 2025, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to:
Submissions open each year on April 1 for books published in the previous 12-month period
(April 1 to March 31).
To be eligible, authors must have resided in the region (i.e. Capital Regional District) for at least two years. Illustrators of children’s books are considered authors for the purposes of the children’s literature prize.
Eligible books must:
• Be written in English (dual-language children’s books are accepted)
• Be a new, original work—not a new edition, reissue, or revision
• Be professionally published and carry an ISBN (self-published works are not eligible)
Detailed eligibility requirements are published when submissions open. For each prize category, an independent jury of local experts—such as librarians, writers, and booksellers—is appointed by the Society’s Board of Directors. Juries evaluate each submission on its literary merit, determine a shortlist of three titles, and select the final winner.
©2024 Victoria Book Prizes. All rights reserved
