Donner Book Prize

The Donner Prize

Eligibility & Submission / Selection Process

Eligibility

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE published in English or French between January 1 and December 31 of the prize year.
Deadline for submissions is November 30 of the prize year.
A collection of essays by one author is eligible if the essays are on a single theme,and if the work in its entirety has not been reproduced elsewhere. A collection of essays by more than one author is not eligible.
A work by two co-authors is acceptable, provided the whole work is integrated and coherent.
Posthumously published works, pamphlets, monographs, reference books, conference papers and subsequent or revised editions of books are not eligible.
Books published outside Canada are eligible provided that the author is a Canadian citizen, the book is published in English or French and the theme is relevant to Canadian public policy.
Short-listed authors are required to attend an awards ceremony the following May and, if winners, address the audience at that time.
The rules for eligibility shall be interpreted and may be revised from time to time at the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Donner Canadian Foundation.

Submission Process

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE submitted by the publisher. No other entries will be accepted.
Six copies of each title must be delivered to the Prize Manager by November 30. For titles published between November 30 and December 31, the publisher may submit bound galleys or bound typescripts.
Each submission must include a publication or release date and a general overview of its contents.
The earliest possible submission of books is recommended.
Receipt of each candidate title will be acknowledged by the Prize Manager in a letter that will also set out the responsibilities of the publisher and the author should their title be short-listed or chosen for the Prize.

Selection Process

EACH TITLE SUBMITTED for consideration will be judged by a jury made up of five members who bring varied backgrounds and areas of expertise to the task. In early April a shortlist will be announced. The winner and runners-up will be announced at an awards ceremony in May.

Selection Criteria

ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO agreed-upon definition of public policy, some of the basic elements affecting public policies are reasonably clear. These include the policy objectives being sought, the trade-offs among policy objectives, the limited range of policy choices open to governments (given the limits of the availability of human and financial resources, the administrative capacity of governments, and prevailing public attitudes), the likely impacts of pursuing various practical policy options, and the processes by which public choices are made. All of these elements are within the scope of the Prize.

In making its selection, the jury is guided by three broad criteria:

The importance of the subject
The soundness and originality of the analysis in terms of identifying and defining the issues in question and presenting authoritative analysis and evidence to illuminate the issues and support the conclusions reached, and
A well-written, well-presented book that can be read and understood not only by experts, but also by interested and informed laymen.

In general, the jury places a premium on analysis and a weighing of alternatives. This may take many forms, e.g. historical analysis that sheds light on contemporary issues and policy, cross-country and cross-regional comparisons, and straightforward comparisons of contemporary policy options in a specific area. Books that present simple historical descriptions or case studies that fail to shed much new light on public policy, past or present, are unlikely to be selected. Nor are books whose focus is judged to be primarily advocacy or special pleading.

Submission Package Download

(right-click on the appropriate link and choose "save target as":

Microsoft Word Format
Adobe PDF