Call for Entries
Call for entries for the 43rd Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada for books published in 2025 is now open.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 13, 2026.
Eligibility
To be eligible, a book must have been:
Published in 2025 by a Canadian publisher
Designed by a Canadian designer
Canadian editions, co-editions and simultaneous editions are eligible if designed and published in Canada in their entirety. There is no limit to the number of titles you may enter. We welcome entries from experienced designers and design students alike.
Categories
Judges select books in nine categories to encourage the very best in Canadian design, only where they see exceptional merit. These are:
Children's Picture Books / Livres illustrés pour enfants
Comics/Graphic Novels / Bande dessinées
Limited editions * / Éditions à tirage limité *
Pictorial / Beaux livres
Poetry / Poésie
Prose: fiction / Romans et nouvelles
Prose: illustrated / Prose illustrée
Prose: non-fiction / Études et essais
Reference / Ouvrages de référence
Each book should be assigned to one of the above categories. However, either the Society’s Awards Committee or the judges may move a title from one category to another if, in their opinion, the book’s content and design warrant it.
* A note regarding the Limited Editions category:
Entries submitted in this category should be printed books in which the quality of craftsmanship, innovation, or experimentation is noteworthy. Both letterpress and digital printing qualify. There is no restriction on the number of pages, and they need not be bound. There must be at least three copies produced in one edition for the project to qualify. Books created as student projects will be accepted. Books not meeting the above criteria will not be included in the competition. All submissions in the limited editions category will be returned to the entrant, with one exception. Should the entrant of a winning book wish to have their book participate in the Frankfurt and Leipzig exhibitions and the international competition in Leipzig, they must agree to donate their book to the Deutsches Buch-Schriftmuseum; it is not possible for the competition organizers, the Stiftung Buchkunst, to return the books to Canada.
jury
This year’s jurors are:
Ingrid Paulson, art director and designer
Jason Dewinetz, writer, typographer and publisher, Greenboathouse Press
Mark Goldstein, designer and writer, Beautiful Outlaw
Judging takes place on February 28, 2026.
Judging is based on the suitability of design concept in relation to the intellectual nature of the content and the intended audiences. Use of colour, type, illustration and photographic styles when applicable are also considered. The stock used in the text block, as well as the jacket, binding, and overall finish are judged in the context of the book’s purpose.
At the discretion of the juries, first, second, and third prizes may be awarded in each category; ties are permitted; honourable mentions may also be awarded. A book cited for honourable mention exhibits some noteworthy feature(s) that place it, in the view of the judges, above the rest. However, the book may, as a whole, fail to sustain comparison with prize-winners in the category.
Winners will be notified as soon as possible prior to the official results announcement. A list of winning books will be posted on the Alcuin Society website. Winners will be presented at the ceremony in Toronto and the books will be exhibited domestically and internationally.
Conflict of interest
If a judge has participated in the production of a book, that book should not be submitted as an entry in the current competition.
SELECTION
To enter, include:
One copy of each title being entered
Printed copy of the online receipt for the total amount for the book(s) entered, or a cheque, or money order made payable to The Alcuin Society.
Printed copy of the entry form (in either English or French) for each title.
Mail or courier submissions to:
submission
Alcuin Society Awards
c/o Gabriel Levine
Sheridan College
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Hazel McCallion Campus, Room B220
4180 Duke of York Blvd
Mississauga, Ontario L5B 0G5
Please note that any book deliveries (in-person or via a courier) must be made Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
Fees
The entry fee is $45 per title ($35 for Alcuin Society members). In addition, we are offering a discount of 15% on 4 or more entries.
You can pay via cheque or online by clicking the button below. Please make sure to include:
a copy of your receipt of online payment
a copy of the printed out entry form in your package, even if your payment is made online.
Entry fees are not refundable; books submitted are not returned, except limited editions.
DEADLINE
All entries must be received by Friday, February 13, 2026.
questions
For any questions, please write to:
Chester Gryski
Alcuin Awards Director
awards@alcuinsociety.com