The Bookseller, a publishing industry magazine and website, on Wednesday announced the launch of the New Adult Book Prize, created to celebrate the rapid growth and influence of new adult fiction.

Developed in association with the Cheltenham Literature Festival, the award aims to set an industry benchmark for this burgeoning category, which focuses on the transition from adolescence to early adulthood.

The initiative follows the Frankfurt Book Fair's formal recognition of new adult fiction, which was granted a dedicated space at the event in 2024. The prize welcomes submissions from all genres of new adult fiction published between 1 March 2024 and 28 February 2025.

A 10-title shortlist will be selected by a team at The Bookseller and a panel of expert judges, with the winner receiving a GBP2,000 prize during the Cheltenham Literature Festival in October. The announcement and award ceremony will be part of the festival's VOICEBOX programme.

The Bookseller's editor Philip Jones stated that the prize builds on the success of the YA Book Prize and aims to support imaginative storytelling in this increasingly popular space.

Katie Fraser, chair of the prize and staff writer at The Bookseller, emphasised its goal of fostering meaningful discussions around stories that recognise the complexities of early adulthood.

(USD1=GBP0.75)