This year’s award ceremony marks the opening event of the Isle of Wight Literary Festival. Taking place at the Island Sailing Club in Cowes on Tuesday 7th October, the Presentation Lunch will include an opening speech by award founder Hunter Davies, with all three judges in attendance.
It’s a rare chance to see Island-inspired authors and readers come together in celebration—and for finalists, a moment to share their work in front of a literary-minded audience.
Judges:
- Children’s books: Nicholas Allen, author and illustrator of favourites like The Queen’s Knickers
- Fiction: M.H. Eccleston, whose Island-based murder mystery Death on the Isle won the very first award
- Non-fiction: Lucinda Hawksley, historian, broadcaster, and descendant of Charles Dickens