HAVE you got a book in you? Why not enter the inaugural Isle of Wight Book Awards?

The Isle of Wight is to become the second region in the UK with its own regional book awards, in September 2022.

The book awards will be for any books vaguely connected with the Island, and entries are now open.

Alan Titchmarsh, Joanna Trollope and Hunter Davies are the three judges.

Scroll down for a link to enter...

Author and journalist Hunter Davies, who has a home on the Island, is starting the awards along with Peter Harrigan and Krissy Lloyd of the Medina Bookshop, the main sponsor.

Who can enter?

  • In its inaugural year, books published in the last five years will be accepted.
  • After that, the annual awards will be for books published during the previous year.
  • You need not live on the Island, and books can be in the past or present, as long as there is strong Island connection.
  • The general aim is to promote interest in the Isle of Wight and encourage local authors to write and possibly self-publish their own stories.
  • Entries should be submitted by March 2022, the shortlist will be revealed in August and the awards handed out in September.

Winners will take home £100 each, with names announced on Isle of Wight Day 2022.

Each year, one book will be selected as the Isle of Wight Book of the Year, agreed upon by all the judges.

Hunter Davies said: “I honestly do believe everyone has a book in them.

“These days self-publishing is not too expensive or complicated so you can do it yourself and take pride in passing around finished copies to your family and friends and neighbours, and I am sure a kindly local bookshop will display copies”.

The three categories, fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books, are sponsored by local businesses, Hovertravel, The Isle of Wight Festival, and estate agents Hose Rhodes and Dickson.

For the first awards, MP Bob Seely will announce his choice for the best books ever written about the Isle of Wight and a vote will also take place online.

For further details and entry forms, visit the website www.iowbookawards.co.uk