Taste Canada Awards invites all publishers and authors to submit titles published in 2023 to the one and only Canadian Food Writing Awards.

Deadline for submissions is March 6, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

Submitting Books for Consideration

Below, please find and review:

1. Submission Procedures, 2. Eligibility and Submission Criteria, 3. Judging Process and 4. Individual Award Categories.

Please note that the competition is open to publishers and authors outside Canada, on the condition that the author be a Canadian citizen (all authors, if a co-authored book) at the time of publication.

1. Submission Procedures

Each title submitted requires the following before March 6, 2024, 11:59pm EST:

Complete the online entry form which includes:

• • Author contact information
  • Contact information for publisher’s representative (editorial and publicity contacts)
  • Book title, publish date, brief book description, ISBN
  • Payment of $150.00 per title (non-refundable).

Payment Options:

• • Cheque or money order made out to Taste Canada — The Food Writing Awards
  • Payment by credit card may be made via PayPal

(Note: If submitting more than one title, the fees can be combined into one cheque or money order or PayPal transaction with separate online entry forms for each book.)             

• • Seven (7) copies of each title for the jury and media outreach. Please note that the books will not be returned.
  • An electronic low-resolution (72 dpi, 8.5 by 11 inches) in JPG format of the book cover (front cover only), to be provided via email or cloud file sharing to awardschair@tastecanada.org
  • An electronic low-resolution (72 dpi, 8.5 by 11 inches) author headshot (one per author or group shot for multiple authors) in JPG format, to be provided via email or cloud file sharing to awardschair@tastecanada.org
  • Taste Canada will actively promote submitted, shortlisted and winning titles, authors and publishers on social media. By submitting a title, you agree that the publisher and the author will follow and engage on social media posts:

Please complete online entry form (or see link above) and send all submission materials (books and non-refundable cheque (as applicable) made out to Taste Canada—The Food Writing Awards) by March 6, 2024. Email for shipping details at awardschair@tastecanada.org.

NOTE: There are no printed forms required for 2024 entries. All information is collected electronically.

For books shortlisted, we may request the following to be submitted upon release of the shortlist on June 12, 2024:

• • Publisher’s press release about the book and the author, to be provided via online or email submission
  • Mailing address of the author(s)
  • An electronic high-resolution jpeg (300 dpi, at least 8.5 by 11 inches; minimum 1GB) in JPG of the author(s), to be provided online file transfer (e.g. WeTransfer) or email submission
  • An electronic high-resolution jpeg (300 dpi, at least 8.5 by 11 inches; minimum 1GB) in JPG of the book cover, to be provided online file transfer (e.g. WeTransfer) or email submission
  • Please note that shortlisted books will be further promoted to various media outlets, and additional copies of books and/or promotional content may be requested at this time.

2. Eligibility and Submission Criteria

All entries must have been published in print editions in English or French between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. No exceptions.

1. All author(s) must be Canadian citizen(s) at time of publication.
2. A work by co-authors is acceptable, provided all authors are Canadian citizens at time of publication.
3. All entries must have an ISBN and be available for sale in bookstores or online in Canada, this includes self-published books.
4. Revised editions, or compilations of previously published work, must contain a minimum of 30% new material. If submitting a revised edition, one copy of the previous edition and a statement describing new content must be included in the submission.
5. The author, publisher, agent or other authorized person may submit books. Please coordinate entries to avoid duplication.
6. Online entry form must be completed by March 6, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST; books must arrive OR be postmarked/have a shipped-on date on or before March 6, 2024.
7. A non-refundable submission fee of $150.00 per title must be submitted with registration, along with seven (7) copies of the title.
8. Taste Canada Awards is not responsible for late or lost books therefore shipping with tracking is recommended.
9. Please refer to individual award categories (section D, below) for further information. Each title may only be entered into one (1) category.
10. Disqualification and Awards Committee Rights: The Awards Committee reviews each entry to confirm copyright date, category and eligibility. If a book does not meet copyright timeline, or other eligibility requirements as stated above, the book will be disqualified. If the Awards Committee determines the book has been entered into the incorrect category, they reserve the right to assign a more appropriate category; the Awards Chair will contact the submitter to confirm re-assigning the book to the appropriate category.

3. Taste Canada Awards Judging Process

There is a three-person jury of professionals for each category and judges are appointed by an independent committee. The jury follows detailed judging criteria outlined and customized for each category. Scores are verified by the Awards Committee after each round and the decisions made by the judges are final.

Winners are kept in strict confidence solely to judges of each category and the Awards Committee until the winners are announced in the fall. Judges reserve right not to award a Gold or Silver award should any, or all, entered books be deemed unworthy of a prize.

For a more detailed overview of the judging process, please visit https://tastecanada.org/policies/.

4. Individual Award Categories

A Gold and Silver Award may be given in each category for both English- and French-language books.

General Cookbooks / Livres de cuisine générale

The award is given to the best cookbook, written by a Canadian author (or authors), which covers a general range of topics, offering a variety of options to the Canadian cook. Single-subject and Health or Special Diet-related cookbooks are not included in this category, but in the designated categories (see below). Content in General Cookbooks focuses primarily on recipes, with supporting text pertaining to the recipes or overall book theme.

Single-Subject Cookbooks / Livres de cuisine sujet unique

The award is given to the best cookbook written by a Canadian author (or authors), which features a single topic in the culinary world. This category may include books about a specific food, beverage, cooking method, meal and/or target a very specific audience, such as cookbooks written by professional chefs for professional chefs. This category does not include regional/cultural cooking or books related to health and special diets (see below for content criteria). Content in Single-Subject Cookbooks focuses primarily on recipes, with supporting text pertaining to the feature subject.

Regional/Cultural Cookbooks / Livres de cuisine régionale et culturelle

The award is given to the best cookbook written by a Canadian author (or authors), which best exemplifies the cooking of a specific terroir or region in Canada, or, the cooking of a specific ethnic group (in terms of race, nationality, or religious heritage) in Canada or around the world. Content in Regional/Cultural Cookbooks focuses primarily on recipes, with supporting text pertaining to the specific regional or cultural theme.

Health or Special Diet Cookbooks / Livres de cuisine santé ou d’alimentation particulière

The award is given to the best cookbook, written by a Canadian author (or authors), which features content and recipes related to specific nutritional or health needs or lifestyle choices. The book must include a minimum of 50% recipes and a minimum of 20% of informational content, which supports the subject of the book and the recipes.

Culinary Narratives / Narrations culinaires

The award is given to the best food- or beverage-related narrative written by a Canadian author (or authors) that is not primarily a recipe book. This category may include books exploring culinary history, culture, politics, social awareness, technique or equipment, memoir or biography, all relating to food or beverages, and may include some representative recipes. In this category, however, recipes (if any) will not be tested; recipes will be evaluated in respect to how they support the text. In most cases, the overall style of the book will be narrative, but reference texts will be included in this category as well. The topic or theme need not be Canadian.

Pease ensure that all required documentation has been sent to guarantee eligibility of the submission. 

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