A. We strongly encourage our winners to attend the ceremony on Thursday, June 6, 2013. We consider this an excellent opportunity for writer and audience to connect, as attendees get the opportunity to hear the author read from the winning work. One can count on the ceremony to be a lively assembly of Bay Area literati, past Medal Winners and Commonwealth Club members. If a winner has a scheduling conflict and cannot attend, we require that he/she send a qualified representative to the ceremony to accept the award and read on the winner’s behalf.
A. The Awards Jury is comprised of 12-15 California literary-minded professionals. The specific make-up is subject to change, but we are dedicated to a diverse range of views, backgrounds and literary experience. At The Commonwealth Club of California, we strive to have our Jury represent various cultural and aesthetic backgrounds and have the thorough knowledge of science and history necessary to deliberate the merits of all book entries.
A. No. If you complete an On-Line Entry Form or if you ship your six (6) review copies from a warehouse or distributor, the paperwork materials may arrive separately. The submission entry is marked complete when we have the books and an entry form (by digital or snail-mail means) at our San Francisco office before the deadline!
A. This book contest began in 1931 at The Commonwealth Club of California to honor literary excellence among legal California-resident authors, academics, and writers at large. The Club grants Gold and Silver Medals in the categories of: Fiction, First Work of Fiction (novels and short story collections), Nonfiction, Poetry, Californiana (a California-themed work), Juvenile Literature (up to age 10), Young Adult Literature (Age 11-16), and Notable Contribution to Publishing (books with either a special design/presentation or layout). Read more »
