Guðrún Helgadóttir Children's Book Award
The Guðrún Helgadóttir Children's Book Award was created in 2018 in honor of the writer of Guðrún Helgadóttir. The award is given annually for an unprinted manuscript to a book for children or youth to support literary innovation. A three-member selection committee reads all submitted manuscripts and selects the award recipient. The Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature office administers the awards.
Applicants must submit anonymous manuscripts in PDF format via this page. The submission deadline is March 1, 2026. The award is traditionally presented in early September.
What are the awards?
The prize winner receives a monetary award along with the recognition itself. Reykjavík City funds the prize, which is presented annually around Guðrún Helgadóttir's birthday on September 7. In 2026, the amount of the Reward will be 1,000,000 Icelandic krónur.
How can I participate?
Applicants must submit anonymous manuscripts in PDF format via this page. The submission deadline is March 1, 2026. The manuscripts are stored in a secure area and deleted two weeks after the selection committee reaches a decision. To ensure impartiality, the submission process protects author anonymity. Submissions are processed through a secure portal, and the selection committee receives manuscripts identified only by pseudonyms, preserving the confidentiality of previous years.
Who owns the publishing rights?
The publication rights for the winning manuscript are retained by the author or the publisher they choose to work with.
How is the selection committee formed?
The Selection Committee for the Award is appointed by the Sports and Recreation Council for one-year at a time. It consists of three members: one designated by the Writers' Union of Iceland, another by the IBBY in Iceland, and the third by Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature, which also appoints the chairperson.
If the Selection Committee unanimously agrees that none of the received works meet the required standards for the Award, the presentation of the Award may be canceled for that year.