Submissions are now being invited for the 2027 Winston Graham Historical Prize, with publishers invited to submit hopefuls for the shortlist before 10th October 2026.
To enter, novels must have been published in the UK between 30 September 2025 and 30 September 2026 and set at least sixty years ago in the UK and Ireland. The submissions form can be found here.
The prize is unique in the UK in that the shortlist is chosen by a large community of avid readers – most of whom are based in Cornwall – who whittle down the entries for the judging panel, making the selection process more democratic than most.
Chair of the Judges Charlotte Hobson with Dr Andrew Graham, son of Winston Graham, at the prize ceremony 2026
A strong sense of place is the golden thread readers and judges are seeking, as Chair of the Judges Charlotte Hobson explains:
“Winston Graham, who the prize is in memory of, conjured up a sense of Cornwall which resonates with readers across the world right to the present day. It’s that kind of transportive literary magic that we’re looking for – one that can pick you up and put you back down in another time, another place.”
Benjamin Wood – who described himself as “delighted” and “honoured” to win the Winston Graham Historical Prize in 2026 with his book Seascraper concurred, saying:
“More and more, I’ve come to understand that the atmosphere of a story’s setting is the thing which most informs and motivates my process as a fiction writer.”
The shortlist will be announced in January, with the eventual winner revealed at a ceremony at the museum in March 2027.
The Courtney Library at Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery was used by Winston Graham for research
Bryony Robins, Co-Director of Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery, spoke of the eager anticipation surrounding the 2027 prize:
“We’ve had some outstanding winners of the Winston Graham Historical Prize in recent years, championing the power of human storytelling and the boundless limits of imagination. Cornwall is such an inspiring place for all artists, so it’s very fitting that Cornwall – and the museum that holds its historical collections – is the home of this literary prize. We’re all looking forward to getting stuck into the 2027 shortlist over the winter.”