# Kelpies Prize

The Kelpies Prize is a literary award sponsored by Floris Books presented to writers of middle-grade books set in Scotland. The award is sponsored by Floris Books.
The award was established in 2004. Between 2010 and 2019, the winner received a £2,00 prize, as well as a publishing deal with Floris Books' Kelpies imprint.
In 2019, Floris Books updated the award. Instead of presenting the award to an author who had already written a middle-grade children's book, they presented it to an author who showed promise in the field. As such, the prize included "a year of mentoring with the editorial team at Floris Books, along with a publication deal, £1,000 (about $1,215) and a week-long writing retreat".
In 2014, Floris Books introduced the Kelpies Prize for Illustration, then known as the Kelpies Design & Illustration Prize. At its onset, the award focused on cover design. When the company revamped the Kelpies Prize in 2019, they also updated the Kelpies Prize for Illustration by asking artists interested in a career in illustration to submit potential illustrations appropriate for a children's book. Winners received "a year of mentoring with the Floris Books design team, as well as a publication deal, £1,000 and a ticket to this year’s Picture Hooks conference". In 2022, the award was reduced to a £500 cash prize, with 9 months of mentoring. In 2023, Floris Books paused the Kelpies Prize for Illustration to focus on their Pathways into Children’s Publishing programme.

## Kelpies Prize for Writing honorees

Kelpies Prize for Writing honorees :
| Year | Title | Author | Result |
| 2008 | Tarantula Tide | Sharon Tregenza | Winner |
| 2009 | | Mackay | Winner |
| 2010 | The Angel Ashariel | Ritske Rensma | Shortlist |
| 2010 | Operation Bonobo | Elizabeth Spalton | Shortlist |
| 2010 | Red Fever | Caroline Clough | Shortlist |
| 2011 | How to Make a Golem (and Terrify People) | Alette J. Willis | Winner |
| 2011 | The Really Weird Removals Company | Daniela Sacerdoti | Shortlist |
| 2011 | The Resurrection Spell | Roy Gill | Shortlist |
| 2012 | Nicking Time | Tracy Traynor | Winner |
| 2013 | Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens | Alex McCall | Winner |
| 2013 | Never Back | Barbara Henderson | Shortlist |
| 2013 | The Great Moon Mission | Shona McQuilken | Shortlist |
| 2014 | The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean | Lindsay Littleson | Winner |
| 2014 | The Superpower Project | Paul J. Bristow | Shortlist |
| 2014 | My Fake Brother | Joan Pratt | Shortlist |
| 2015 | Slug Boy Saves the World | Mark Smith | Winner |
| 2015 | Drowning in the Mirror | Julie MacPherson | Shortlist |
| 2015 | Monsters M.I.A. | Justin Nevil | Shortlist |
| 2016 | Ruby McCracken: Tragic Without Magic | Elizabeth Ezra | Winner |
| 2016 | The Day My School Exploded (But It Wasn't My Fault!) | Alan McClure | Shortlist |
| 2016 | The Secret of the Tammy Norrie | Christine Laurenson | Shortlist |
| 2017 | The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow | Emily Ilett | Winner |
| 2017 | Lottie Larkin's Magical Mishap | Kate Bolden | Shortlist |
| 2017 | David and the Surprisingly Smart-o-saurus | Debbie Cannon | Shortlist |
| 2018 | The Lost Wizard of Nine Witches Wood | Hannah Foley | Winner |
| 2018 | Haunted Tide | Celia Bryce | Shortlist |
| 2018 | Over the Sea to Sky | Robin Scott-Elliot | Shortlist |
| 2019 | | Christopher Mackie | Winner |
| 2020 | | Jude Reid | Winner |
| 2021 | No award presented | No award presented | No award presented |
| 2023 | | Rebekah Fieschi | Winner |
| 2023 | | Leanne Dymond | Shortlist |
| 2023 | | Bruna De Luca | Shortlist |
| 2023 | | Jonathan Stephens | Shortlist |
| 2023 | | Jacqueline Thompson-Tadrowski | Shortlist |

## Kelpie Prize for Illustration honorees

Kelpie Prize for Illustration honorees :
| Year | Author | Result |
| 2014 | Astrid Jaekel | Winner |
| 2014 | Mark Doyle | Commended |
| 2014 | Victoria Pickford | Commended |
| 2015 | Lewis Copland | Winner |
| 2015 | Anna Elez Rodrigo | People's choice |
| 2015 | Brad Newman | Highly commended |
| 2016 | Darren Gate | Winner |
| 2016 | Grisel Miranda | People's choice |
| 2017 | Aimee Ferrier | Winner |
| 2017 | Grisel Miranda | People's choice |
| 2018 | Moira Scicluna Zahra | Winner |
| 2019 | Aimee Ferrier | Winner |
| 2020 | Leanne Goodall | Winner |
| 2021 | No award presented | No award presented |
| 2022 | Ramune Kregzdyte | Winner |