Eyelands.gr & Strange Days Books are proud to announce the launch of
EYELANDS BOOK AWARDS 2026!!
This is the announcement for the 9th Eyelands Book Awards / Deadline: 20 October 2026. We launch our contest for the 9th consecutive year, always seeking talented writers from all over the world. This is an international book award based in Greece!
PRIZES AND MORE
Grand prize (published books): Five-day stay in Athens
Grand prize (unpublished books): Translation into Greek and publication from Strange Days Books
Grand prize (writers choice): Five-day stay in Athens or publication from Strange Days Books
All 24 prize and grand prize winners win a handmade ceramic designed especially for Eyelands Book Awards!
Certification document for every prize winner.
Online publication for selected excerpts from prize-winning books and translation into Greek & online publication on eyelands.gr
Video promotion across our social media for grand prize & prize winners
There will be at least four finalists for each category. The number of finalists (4 to 7) depends on amount of the books submitted in the specific category.
We also announce the runners up.
Special logo every year to be send to every grand prize winner, prize winner, runner-up or finalist of the contest.
Online Certification document for every finalist upon request.
##
JUDGES
P.H.C. Marchesi (Children’s books/graphic novels), Andriana Minou (Poetry, LGBTQIA+, Self-published books), Vikram Kapur (Novels), Helen Paterakis (Short stories), Gregory Papadoyiannis (Historical novel, Crime /Thriller, Memoir), Nick Crawford (Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Magic realism), A.F. Helios
Grand Prize winners will be among the judges for EBA 2027
| 1 euro from every submission will be donated to the United Nations’ Refugee Agency Greece https://www.unhcr.org/gr |
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES & DATES & DETAILS
Opening: June 20, 2026
Submit your book or manuscript online
Closing: October 20, 2026, at midnight PST (payments accepted till October 30)
Manuscripts must be written in English.
Open to writers of any nationality
Eligible submissions include: poetry, novellas, short story collections, novels, children’s and YA books, historical fiction/memoir, graphic novels.
Multiple submissions allowed.
Simultaneous submissions allowed, but please notify us if full manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
Finalists for all categories to be announced on November 20, 2026
Prize winners are to be announced on Wednesday, December 30, 2026.
There is no restriction regarding the form or style of writing. We prefer pages to be numbered. Files should be uploaded as an MS Word document or PDF. Fill the entry form, copy and paste it in the body of your email.
No need to send the cover
Submit your manuscript online to: eyelandsmag@gmail.com
Or/ strangedaysbooks@gmail.com
*We use AI detector to check that the text has not been created or developed with the use of generative AI tools
*All published books must have been published between September 20, 2016 – October 20, 2026.
*Finalists must acknowledge receipt of their nomination email to proceed to the final prizes stage.
EARLY BIRD SUBMISSIONS
(till the 20th of September)
* for two-times finalists
*for books submitted via publishing houses
*when resubmit a book
* every other submission after the first one for the same author
LIGHT FARE SUBMISSIONS
(20 euros)
*same book submitted in two different categories (e.g. novels & sci-fi)
*for writers on low income
*for writers U20
*for prize winners of previous Eyelands Book Awards
#
FREE SUBMISSIONS
(all categories for a single book submission)
*for writers from countries suffering the consequences of war
*for grand prize winners of previous EBA contests
*for writers U18
*for writers from first-time-submitting countries
Note: for under-18 participants parents’ consent is necessary
##
ENTRY FORM
(one entry form per book):
Title:
Author:
Category:
Publisher: (for published books only)
ISBN: (for published books only)
Address:
E-Mail:
AWARD CATEGORIES* (select one per entry application):
The following are eligible:
1/Full-length books of fiction (Novels or novellas of any genre)
2/Collections of short stories
3/Collection of poems
4/Historical fiction
5/ Memoir/Autobiography
6/Children’s and YA books – Graphic Novels
7/ LGBTQIA+ (texts of any genre with main theme related to the community)
8/ Sci-Fi – Fantasy / Magic realism
9/ Crime/Thriller – Horror (Novels or novellas)
10/ Self-published books**
11/Distinction for U20 – a short story or three poems are eligible for this category.
– Short story contest (only for U18 contestants) no fee – wins special distinction and a handmade ceramic prize
NEW: 12/ Short plays (up to 20 minutes –up to four roles) Prize for this category: audio performance of the play by actor-ess
* All categories -except the last three- divided to subcategories of published and unpublished.
**Note for writers’ choice award & self-published category: if a writer wins the grand prize, they can choose any of the two prizes they prefer – this also applies to the writers’ choice award winner, under the condition that the publishing firm (if applicable) gives permission for the translation of their book.
***There’s a limit of 300.000 words for all categories of published and or unpublished books.
Limit for any text/poetry collection: up to 300 pages written by a single author is eligible.
EBA follows the CLMP Contest Code of Ethics.
PAYMENT
Payment via paypal – See the banner on the websites: www.eyelands.gr & https://eyelandsawards.com
Click the «buy now» button. Fill the description with: EBA
Submission fee: 40 euros ($45)
Early bird submission 30 euros ($35) till September 20, 2026
*After the payment is complete, you may send the email with your manuscript as an attachment and the entry form completed, copied and pasted in the body of your email
*An email confirmation that your entry has been received will be sent within 3-4 days
*Every writer may submit more books with the early bird payment fee of 30 euros ($35) for each additional submission
* Special offer: for writers who live in Greece, they may pay the submission via bank transfer to Strange Days Books and receive two books for free (including free postage)
MORE ABOUT PRIZES
Grand Prize (Published books): A five-day holiday in Athens in November 2026 to attend the prize ceremony. Plus ticket to visit the Acropolis of Athens, a 5-day public transport ticket, plus a round-trip ticket for the ferry to the island of Aegina*
Eyelands cover all accommodation costs for the award winner. Air tickets not included. Any text/book written by two or more writers is also eligible. In this case, accommodation in Athens will be shared.
Grand prize (Unpublished books): Translation into Greek and publication from Strange Days Books – the writer receives 3 complimentary copies and a 30% discount for every additional copy.
WRITERS’ CHOICE
Prize winners will read and vote for their favourite prize-winning book between January – April 2027. The winner will receive another grand prize and a five-day stay in Athens in November 2027 to attend the ceremony or (if they prefer) translation of the book into Greek. In case a prize winner does not wish to participate they may be replaced by the runner up in the same category.
*Public transport ticket provides unlimited travel for 120 hours from the first validation on buses, trolleybuses, trams, and metro lines 1, 2, and 3 (excluding the airport)
*Aegina is an island in the Saronic gulf, approximately an hour’s distance from Piraeus port.
#
If you have any questions, please contact us at
eyelandsmag@gmail.com [or] strangedaysbooks@gmail.com
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU ALL YEAR ROUND!
| We always answer all your questions within three days. We are not an impersonal organization but a group of people who love books, literature and care for authors from all over the world! |
##
Nearly a decade since the launch of our contest and as we continuously gain more praise and acknowledgement as one of the best international book contests, our level of recognition means that a distinction in Eyelands Book Awards as a finalist or winner, attracts the attention of publishers and agents. We are happy to see many of our unpublished books by finalists or prize winners subsequently being published.
LINKS
https://eyelandsawards.com
Find us also on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok
https://www.facebook.com/eyelands.portal
instagram / @eyelands_book_ awards
Tik Tok/ eyelands awards
eyelands.gr 